Flickering Flame
by myellar
Summary: Sequel to Broken Fire. AU in which Peeta was killed in the Games. Katniss is with Gale and her family, in District Thirteen. But why does she keep seeing visions of a dead boy? And where did her long lost uncle come from? Please R&R!
1. Underground

**A/N: Thanks for following me here! This is the sequel to _Broken Fire _a story in which Peeta dies in the arena and Katniss is the sole victor. So, basically, yeah! This takes up a few days after the other one left off. Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Note: My tumblr is** likesblaine **for anyone who is interested :)**

I stare down the dark steps and can barely contain the shiver that runs up my spine. Unlike the tunnel leading to the mines, this shaft is made of a dark metal and has even steps dropping almost directly down. It leads to the bunkers beneath District Thirteen.

My wristwatch buzzes, shaking my hand. Looking down, I see mealtime is in five minutes. Sighing, I turn around and try to find my way back up the labyrinth of dark tunnels and silvery corridors.

I can smell meat cooking. I find a place in line and take my bowl of mushroom soup and mashed carrots. For some reason there has been a shortage of meat lately and they have only been able to harvest vegetables.

I sit down on the plastic bench next to Posy, across from Gale.

"Catnip," he says. He has a piece of thick bread on his plate too. "You ate your bread already?" He's almost laughing.

"I didn't get any!" I protest. He frowns. "Here, have mine." He tosses it onto my plate. I sigh, but am hungry, so I rip it in half and place the larger half onto his napkin. He smiles at me and dips it into the thick mushroom soup.

I devour most of my food. I glance at Posy pulling on Hazelle's sleeve, asking for more food, but Hazelle doesn't have anything to offer.

"Posy," I say quietly. She turns to face me, a hopeful look in her eyes. "Here." I shove the remainder of my mashed carrots towards her. She grins and picks up her spoon.

I turn back to see Gale looking at me. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Gale, you gave me part of your meal- I can give your sister part of mine."

He just shakes his head, and rises to put away his tray. I follow his lead.

The moment our trays are put away, our wristwatches beep in unison. I am once again struck by how _neat _District Thirteen is.

It was my first thought the moment we walked in here. The man who showed up at our door took us on a long hike through the woods. Eventually we made it to the area that was supposed to be in ruins.

But it wasn't. Low steel boxes were located everywhere, and every trace of any type of ruin was gone. It took me a moment to notice the windows and to realize that those were _rooms _underground, and that they must continue deeper.

We got placed in Pod B16 which meant we are on the second underground floor and in the sixteenth room. The other victor's are all on B. There are about 45 rooms down there.

Gale is on the floor below us, C3. He shares his pod with his brothers, and Hazelle shares C4 with Posy.

I glance down at the cuff around my wrist. It is more of a handcuff then a wristwatch. It feels as though it is keeping me here- and in a way it is. Unless engaged in combat, they are stuck on, and they have a GPS tracking device built in. And the worst part- Haymitch has my key.

It beeps again frantically and I finally notice the message on the screen _Urgent Victor's meeting. Pod A4._

I glance over at Gale's but his says the same thing. Assuming they told him to come with me, I bump his shoulder. He turns to face me.

"Ready?"

He nods and we ascend the five flights of stairs from the F floor cafeteria to the A floor meeting.

All the important victors are already there when we arrive. They left two seats next to each other. I sit, but Gale remains standing. He begins to speak.

"As you all know, Orville is our symbol. But we need more then that- we need a person to speak about it, someone who was close to him, or we need another symbol to help the rebellion."

No one makes a sound. No one wants to be the symbol, in case we lose. They would quickly be killed, whereas otherwise they could claim they were being held hostage.

Haymitch finally speaks up. "I think we need more then just a person- we need a reason they should do it. Maybe they rebelled against the Capitol, they've done something to upset them," his eyes stray to Finnick, who has his arms around the crazy girl, Annie. I stare at them, wondering how long this has been going on. My train of thought is interrupted by Gale.

"I agree. But we also need someone who has a real reason, who is young and strong and can really demonstrate what needs to happen for this cause. Maybe they haven't done anything big yet, but what if we put them into battle and they fought? Wouldn't that help the rebellion?"

"Well, yes. But who here- who has rebelled against the Capitol before- is strong enough to do it again?"

Slowly, everyone's eyes turn to me, one by one. "Katniss," Lilah says.

"What? I - I haven't-" I am interrupted again, but this time by Haymitch.

"But you should be furious at the Capitol! They killed your lover, remember?" Gale flinches at the word lover. "You are the perfect symbol for what we stand for! The things the Capitol has done- not only does this circle back to our conditions, but everything we are doing comes back to the arena!" Haymitch is up and pacing now. "Orville was just like you! He died in the arena, and it wasn't fair! He was the victor! And they changed the rules, said two people could win- it's not fair that they killed Peeta either! He was a victor too!" He's almost yelling now. Suddenly, he quiets. "You're the perfect symbol Katniss. The girl on fire. You're the spark to the flame of the rebellion."

"I agree," Gabe says finally. Lilah nods, but doesn't say anything. Soon, everyone around the table has given their support to Haymitch's idea except Gale. "Gale?" I whisper, hoping for some reason he'll oppose them, that he'll find a loophole.

"I- Katniss, I-" I know what he's going to say before he says it. Angrily, I stand up, shoving back the chair. "Thanks Gale," I hiss before storming out the door.

I hear him yelling my name, but I run faster. I make it to the supply closet, and hold my breath until the soft thud of his footsteps disappears into the distance.

I can't be the symbol of the rebellion. I was already the girl on fire- and I hated that. I didn't actually rebel at all! The fact that the Capitol killed Peeta should put his family on the stand, not me.

But they can't. His mother and father died in the fire along with his oldest brother. The only one left is the middle brother, and I can't imagine him taking the risk of getting in front of Panem, and either way, the public has no idea who he is, and they have no idea how he connects to Peeta. To them, if he came up to them and told them to fight for the deaths in the arena, they wouldn't. All they would do was mutter and wonder why I wouldn't stand up and fight if I supported them.

I sigh. I don't want to be the symbol of the rebellion, but if I don't, and we lose the war- I can guarantee many of the rebels would hate me. And it'd be harder then ever to live with the harsh Capitol conditions, knowing that I could have prevented them.

I know I should go back, but I stay in the supply closet for a few more moments, just sitting in the dark and thinking.

I find my way back to the meeting room, but it is empty. Everyone must have trickled off after Gale raced after me. I sit on one of the hard chairs, staring at my hands. Ink is splattered on them, probably from the supply closet. I try to wipe it off on the table but it sticks like glue. I sit there for a while, until my wristwatch starts to buzz. I glance down and realize it must be about dinnertime. I head down to the cafeteria, but Gale is missing. Accepting my tray of mashed potatoes with garlic and rabbit stew, I take my seat next to Prim and across from my mother. I am surprised to see the break from vegetarian meals.

Rory sits next to Prim, keeping his left arm around her at all times. Prim is grinning throughout the meal, giving Posy some of her mashed potatoes. Gale shows up at the end of the meal, but doesn't sit with us. He plops down at an empty table by himself. I wonder what is going on with him. I dump my tray and my wristwatch buzzes, telling me to go back to my pod for down time before my slot to shower.

I climb into my bunk, and the metal frame clinks against something. Glancing under the bed, I see the silver box I retrieved from the ruins of my old home. Opening it, I stare at the diamond key inside. I can't help but wonder again what on earth the key opens. I have almost asked my mother several times, but I stopped myself in time.

My head hurts again. The migranes I got in the Capitol during the Games are being less common now, but upon my return to anything even remotely related to the arena they have resurfaced. The room spins slightly, and I clutch at the box, knowing it will be hours before it disappears.

I hear footsteps in the hall and snap the lid shut, shoving it under the thin sheet on my bed. Expecting my mother, I am surprised when Gale walks in the room.

"Gale," I say in surprise.

"Katniss," he says. "I'm sorry about the whole symbol of the rebellion thing. I didn't want it to be you."

"It's- it's okay Gale."

"We can find someone else, maybe Haymitch-"

"No," I cut him off. "Haymitch has done enough. He was the beginning of the rebellion, he was a mentor alone. You can't lay this on him too. You just can't."

Gale looks at me, and suddenly I am in his arms. Moments later his lips are on mine. I kiss him back.

He wraps me securely in his arms, as though nothing could take me from him. I sigh against his lips. I keep picturing Peeta- standing in the corner, staring at me. For some reason, I feel guilty, even as my mind replays his voice saying, "Live. For me Katniss." It's easy to ignore my migraine now. All of the sudden there is a knock hesitantly on the door and Hazelle walks in.

"Mom!" Gale says in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I- ummm- Haymitch sent me." She's staring at us. "He wants to talk to you both."

Gale nods, and grabs my hand. As we walk out the door, I let go. He looks at me quizzically, a slight frown on his face. I lean in close and whisper, "I want to talk to Hazelle," in his ear. He nods, and heads upstairs, presumably to the meeting room to find Haymitch.

I backtrack quickly and find Hazelle standing in the exact same position. "Hazelle," I begin, but she interrupts.

"Don't bother. I should have known." A small smile has found it's way onto her face. "Both my oldest boys, corrupted by the Everdeen girls. Who knows what will happen to Vick." Her teasing tone takes all the unpleasantness out of her voice. I manage a tight smile back and hurry upstairs towards the meeting room, anxious to get higher up.

Gale waits for me, with Haymitch. Haymitch nods to me as I sit down.

"Why am I here?" I ask abruptly. The room is spinning and I just want to get this over with.

"Will you be our symbol?" he asks.

I look down at my hands. "Yes," I say finally. I can almost feel Haymitch's relief.

"That's great, and-"

A knock on the door interrupts yet another one of my private conversations. Annoyed, I turn to the door. I am shocked by who I see, and then less so.

Peeta stand there, a grin on his face. "Hello Katniss."

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	2. Symbol

**A/N: Hey! Okay, so...**

**First off, here's the chapter!  
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**Second, my PM's aren't working, and for some reason half of the reviews I get I'm not alerted for. But thank you for those of you who sent me comments! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Note: My tumblr is** likesblaine **for anyone who is interested :)**

"Peeta?" I whisper.

"Katniss?" Gale says, but I keep my eyes on Peeta. "Katniss what are you doing?" I ignore him, as Peeta has begun to speak.

"Well, I can see you've already moved on. A year after my death. I loved you, and you let me die." I know the Peeta I knew would not say such terrible things. Gale to still trying to capture my attention.

"I- I tried to save you-" I protest.

"Oh yes. You tried to save me. How sweet." His voice curls over the last word, like it would a swearword. "But you couldn't even manage a tourniquet. You had to put Cato out of his misery instead of save my life."

"I was trying to! If we had stayed up there much longer you would have died!"

"Doctors disagree, Katniss. You have blood on your hands from tributes, both from when you killed them, and when you failed to keep them alive."

"Rue-"

"I was talking about Calliope, Damian, and Orville. You couldn't even keep one of them alive. It's all your fault. Their deaths are on your hands. You are no longer the girl I knew." He leans in close,and I recoil, for fear of what he is going to say next. "I- hate- you." Then he promptly turns and walks out the door.

I am shaking. "Katniss?" Gale's strong hands close around me and I lean back into him. For the first time since District Twelve, with Prim, I find myself sobbing.

How much longer I don't know, but I finally cry myself out. When I look up Haymitch has gone. When he left I also don't know.

"Gale?" I whisper, and in response his arms tighten around me. I lean back into him.

"Katniss-" his voice is cautious. "Katniss, what happened?"

I turn my head slightly, so I can see part of his face. "You didn't see him?"

"No. What was it?"

I should have expected that answer. But for some reason, the reappearance of my hallucinations feels like something that would make Gale leave. I wrap my arms around him tightly.

"Promise you'll never leave me," I say quietly.

"I won't." He pulls me in tighter, if possible. "Not ever. Unless you wanted me to. No, actually, not even then."

I smile slightly. "I saw Peeta."

"What?" He doesn't sound too surprised.

"I used to have visions of him. Once I saw him and you together. And Peeta was always telling me to live my life. With you. Now that I finally am with you, he seems to have a different opinion though."

"Katniss," Gale says gently. "You didn't actually see Peeta. It was just your imagination. It was what you wanted to hear."

"But I didn't want to hear that!"

"I know. Maybe- maybe you're not over him yet." His voice is pained.

"Gale- Gale don't leave me. You promised you wouldn't leave me!"

"I won't. But you should make sure you're not still- not still in love with him before you say you're in love with me."

"I am in love with you."

"That doesn't mean you're not in love with him too."

"And what if I'm in love with both of you? Then what?"

"Then we wait and see if it goes away."

I lea back into Gale again, not bothering to look at his face. I know exactly what he's thinking already.

I have almost forgotten I agreed to be the symbol of the rebellion. Eventually, Gale takes off to go see him and Beetee in the weapons room. It's the first time I've been in there.

Most of the walls are lined with guns, but the back wall has a variation of weapons. Bows, sheaths full of arrows, swords, daggers, spears, even a few tridents and axes. There are stacks of weapons around the room, and a lone desk in the middle. Beetee sits at it.

"Katniss!" He sounds surprised. "What are you doing here?" I shrug and look at Gale.

"Weapon."

"Oh, yes. Ummmmm... one moment." He goes to the back of the room and retrieves a large black box. He also grabs a black bow and a black sheath of arrows.

He returns, laying them carefully across his desk.

"Gale, these are yours." He gestures to the black bow and arrows. "Go ahead. They're not anything special, but they're newer technology, and I attempted to replicate your bow as much as possible. " Gale is smiling as he picks it up. "It's so light," he marvels.

Beetee carefully opens the black case. Inside a bow is laid next to a single arrow and a small gun.

"These are your weapons." Beetee says, handing them to me. "I still have to program the bow, but it should be able to hold a certain amount of data, including a GPS so you can always know where you are. See here?" There is a miniature screen on the back on the bow.

I test a the string and find it also similar to my bow. How Beeteee examined them, though, I do not know.

I pick up the gun, weighing it in my hand. It's not too light, but not too heavy. I set it back carefully in it's case, right next to the bow and arrow. Beetee closes the case and stores it back at the room. He takes Gale's bow with him.

When he returns a moment later I see his hands are covered in black dust.

"Beetee-" I begin but he stops me with a charcoal-coated hand.

"It's nothing, Katniss. I was just helping load the fireplaces."

"But why? Everyone knows you're an engineer."

"You have to help with everything, around here. No matter what or who you are."

It is the first real example I've had of District Thirteen's philosophy. You don't do something that helps us _right now _you leave. And never come back.

That night I sit next to Gale at the dinner table. We get a few strange looks, mostly from the Prep Team, Effie, Plutarch, and a few other people from the Capitol.

I don't eat anything, giving Posy and Vick half my food each. I set my tray down on the cold metal counter. Glancing down at the schedule tattooed onto my wrist, I see I am supposed to go the the Training Area now. My buzzing wristwatch confirms it.

Gale comes up behind me, pulling the large piece of bread from his otherwise empty plate. He hands it to me. "Eat, Katniss."

"I don't need anything. I'm not hungry."

"Just because of what- what happened earlier that doesn't mean you should starve yourself."

I sigh and take a bite out of the bread. "We have to go to the Training Center."

"Nope." His answer surprises me. I feel slightly crestfallen. "You don't have training?"

"Neither of us do. Come here." He takes my hand and leads me away. I ignore the stares.

"But we can't get out of training," I protest half-heartedly.

"Who says I don't already have permission?" he says with a grin.

He leads me to an area near the outdoor training center. The metal link fence is to our left and the woods is to our right. A solider in a military uniform waits with our bows and arrows.

"Sir," Gale says politely as we come up to the man. Reading his tag, I see his name is Sergeant Redenbacker.

"Solider. Here are your weapons." He nods at us as we pick up the bows and sheaths of arrows and head towards the woods. I glance back when we reach the woods edge. He is still standing there, as immobile as a statue, facing straight ahead.

I shoot two rabbits, a squirrel, and three groosling by the time we're deep in the woods. Gale shoots a similar amount of game. I realize something."Why did he call you solider?" I ask Gale as we head deeper into the woods.

"Well, ummm..." He looks uncomfortable.

"Gale?" I start to panic. "Why did he call you solider?"

"I- I might be a part of the army."

"What?"

"Umm, well, I, was drafted."

"You are going to_ war?"_

"Well, I can't do anything here. I can't help win the war. I need- I need to do something. You are going to be the symbol and I am going to be a solider."

"No. You can't be a solider."

"Why?"

"I- I've lost enough people in my life already. My dad, Rue, Calliope, Damian, even Orville. I can't lose you too. I just can't."

"You forgot Peeta," Gale says quietly. I ignore him.

"Gale, you can't go to war. You have to tell them you can't go."

"I can't. District Thirteen- you know how they are. They wouldn't let me out even if I tried."

"So you aren't even going to try?"

"I would, if I thought there was even the smallest chance that they would let me out."

I turn away. Suddenly I see a buck appear in the woods. They aren't afraid of people here- they aren't familiar with them. Everyone here shoots the animals from the trees in camouflage.

I easily shoot it through the eye, and then once again through the heart. Gale just watches. I retrieve my arrows and leave the deer lying there.

Taking my rabbits, squirrels, and groosling, I stomp angrily back to the Training Center. Gale stands still, just watching me go.

I go up to Sergeant Redenbacker, who is now conducting a training exercise.

"There is a deer in the woods, fifty yards in. Dead, no arrows. Get it if you want." I drop my game at his feet and stalk inside.

My wristwatch buzzes again and I glance down to see it's dinner. Suddenly, I am starving, probably because I skipped lunch. When we go in I am surprised to see vegetable stew for dinner. For some reason I expected something with venison, even though logically I know that it would be impossible for them to cook it so fast.

I grab my tray, waiting a moment for them to give me two pieces of cornbread. I eat quickly, and don't see Gale throughout the entire meal. I wonder if he is still in the woods.

I glance down at the schedule but it is blank for another hour. Despite that, my wristwatch buzzes. It tells me to go Pod J12 for a private meeting. Sighing, I descend the stairs. My ears pop.

Haymitch and Plutarch wait in the small room with Coin and two body guards.

"Took you long enough," Haymitch snarls, clearly drunk. I wonder where he got his alcohol.

"Katniss. Haymitch says you agreed to be the symbol of rebellion. Of course, he was -is- drunk. I just wanted to double check that he made it up."

"Actually," I say, "I did agree."

She looks stunned. "You did?"

"Yeah. I did."

"Well, then we have a lot to work on." Plutarch answers for her, as Coin still seems too stunned to do anything. "Symbol of the rebellion, we have to take a photo shoot tomorrow. When are you free?"

"I don't know! I don't have my schedule yet."

Plutarch sighs. "The secrecy is so annoying."

"Wait. You just can't keep calling me the 'Symbol of the Rebellion.' It's not my name."

"Okay, but we can't just call you Katniss," Coin finally speaks up.

"Why not?"

"It's- it's too common. There's probably another few girls with the name Katniss in Panem. We need more than a name. We need a title."

"What? Like- Mutt? Freak? Lover?" Haymitch says, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"No- more like something that defied the capitol in the past, or something that represents Katniss. What is your clearest memory?"

Immediately I jerk back to a day with my father. _We were standing on the street. A boy with black hair and gray eyes passes me on the street. He seems to be with his father also. We stare at each other, even as we walk separate ways. I can only jerk my head away when he is too far away for me to see._

_When I turn my head to face forward. My father is watching me, a slight smile on his face._

"_What?" he says innocently, but the smile is growing._

"_Who was that?" I ask, deciding it's better not to deny it._

"_Well, I don't know about the boy, but his father is on my mining team."_

"Katniss?" Plutarch's voice brings me back to the present.

"It's nothing. There's nothing that could be used for symbolism."

"What is it?"

"A moment with my dead father." The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop awkward silence follows.

"Well- we could do Daddy's Girl?" Haymitch says in a falsetto. Plutarch bursts out laughing while Coin looks on, disapproving.

"We need a serious symbol for this rebellion. If we can't think of anything- we'll die." That sobers Haymitch and Plutarch up pretty quickly.

Haymitch leans back in his chair with a sigh. "Well, then, I guess we're as good as dead."

I can't help but agree with him.

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	3. Mutt

**A/N: Hey! So, PM's still aren't working. Thanks to **SnowandJames4eva **for pointing out that I needed to change this story from complete to in-progress! As always, please Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**Note: My tumblr is** likesblaine **for anyone who is interested :)**

I stare at the metal ceiling above me, the regulation for District Thirteen. I can faintly see my reflection is the shiny silver. I sigh and avert my eyes.

I'm not anyone important to this war really. At least, not yet. The best name we could come up with for me yesterday was Daddy's Girl. What does that say about what resources we have access to?

I sigh and push myself out of bed as my wristwatch begins to buzz. Expecting it to be near lunch time, I realize it is buzzing for a different reason. It's only 9 A.M.- I've overestimated how long I've been lying here.

I slowly trek down to Pod F18, trying to delay what is about to happen. All I do is annoy everyone. When I get there, they are all sitting impatiently around the table.

"Took you long enough!" Haymitch says sourly. I ignore him and slide into the seat on Plutarch's right.

"So, we have several things for today," Plutarch begins, but he is quickly interrupted by Coin.

"We have a surprise for you," she says but her voice is a flat monotone. She gestures to her guards and one of them quickly opens the door. I grin when I see who is behind it.

"Cinna?" I ask in disbelief. He smiles and walks forward, arms outstretched. For some reason I can't understand, I find myself falling into them. A second later we let go, and Plutarch pulls up a chair between my chair and his. He sits down, smiling gratefully.

"And now for the second thing," Coin continues flatly. "We have found a name for Katniss."

It's as though everyone is suddenly alert. We all turn our eyes to Coin. She smiles slightly, just the slightest glimmer of gloating before she regains her flat mask. "We have decided on-" she pauses for a moment, trying to be suspenseful. "Fire Mutt." She smiles, as though waiting for the cries of excitement to start to ring out. All we do is stare at her in disbelief.

"Fire- fire mutt?" I repeat hesitantly.

"Yes. It'll remind the districts of the terrible games you suffered through as the girl on fire."

Haymitch starts to laugh. "Wow."

Coin glares at him. "We have a commercial to tape later today. Beetee thinks he can break the barrier between the districts. We'll do a few short commercials and a longer one if he can break it completely."

I just nod, my mind still consumed by the ridiculous name they have invented for me. _Fire Mutt. _I repeat it in my head, as though that could make it sound normal, or at least halfway decent.

Coin leads me down the rickety metal stairs used only by officials and marked with a EMERGENCY ONLY sign. We go down deeper and deeper, my ears popping over and over again. Eventually she turns and we enter a level labeled with a large red sign declaring this to be LEVEL WW. _We're 49 levels underground. _I finally realize. The hallway is lit with a red glow, squares on the wall as a result of the metal cages around the fluorescent lights.

Coin takes the first right, leading us to another hallway full of doors. The pathway continues to twist and turn until we end up in a room lit with a bright white light. A dark green backdrop extends to the floor, covering it entirely. Black cameras on tripods are perched in various locations around the room, and a small window at the back of the room reveals a small version of the Control Center, with a computer, a desk, and a single gray swivel chair.

Plutarch directs me to a room nearby, where Cinna meets me with another surprise- a whole set of makeup and costumes similar to the ones we had in the Capitol.

Cinna gives me ripped clothes and weapons, giving me fake, attractive scars. He ushers me back into the green room and sets me in front of the backdrop. There is a small screen that scrolls through the words I am supposed to read. A man in black poses me and the words begin to run by. I read along with them.

"I am the fire mutt! We will fight for our freedom and you, the people, will fight for me, the fire mutt!" The words sound wrong coming out of my mouth but I just use more energy, try to be more dramatic. "I will light your fires. I am the FIRE MUTT!"

Haymitch has a liquor bottle up to his mouth for a swig, but suddenly he starts laughing hysterically. He laughs so hard he drops the bottle. It hits the ground with a crack and glass flies everywhere. Alcohol pools on the ground. Finally he manages to spit out, "Way to kill the rebellion, sweetheart."

I slump in the hard metal chair, defeated. Cinna smiles at me, tweaking my hair just the tiniest bit. "It'll be fine, Katniss." It seems like it's the first time anyone has called me Katniss in days, instead of 'sweetheart','Catnip' or 'Fire Mutt.'

"What were they thinking?" I wonder. "I mean, who would follow a _Fire Mutt? _It seems like I'm just another thing the Capitol corrupted turned against myself. And no one would want to follow something the Capitol bred." My voice catches on the last word and my mind flashes through all the mutts they created. Jabberjays, tracker jackers, the jumping wolves with the tributes eyes, the mockingjays...

I realize something though. The mockingjays weren't created by the Capitol. They were the jabberjay's instincts of survival the Capitol didn't count on them having. I glance up at the small mirror in front of me and see Cinna smiling at me through it.

"You have an idea, don't you?" I slowly nod my head.

Moments later I'm standing in front of Coin, Cinna by my side. I glance over at him and he nods encouragingly at me. I clear my throat and begin to speak.

"Fire Mutt is the worst name for a rebellion." Expecting Coin to be shocked, I'm surprised when she simply nods her head. "It makes me seem like someone the Capitol changed into someone to help them. I think I need a new name." Coin's slight smile turns to a snarl.

"Well, unless you can think of one, we're sticking with the Fire Mutt."

"So if I had a better one, could I use it?"

"We'll vote," Plutarch decides for Coin. She glares at him, but he returns her grimace with a cheeky grin.

"Mockingjay,"I announce. For a moment the room is silent, before Coin breaks it.

"Mockingjay?" she snorts. "Why? That's something the Capitol manufactured. Fire Mutt is unique."

I gulp but continue on. "Mockingjays were not created by the Capitol. When they Capitol tried to get rid of the jabberjays they mated with mockingbirds, as an instinct of survival. They created the mockingjays, a race the Capitol never intended to exist. The Capitol never intended for there to be rebels either. But here we are." Slowly, people begin to nod their heads. Plutarchs smiles at me.

"I think we've found a new name." He says. "All in favor?" Everyone's hands but Coin's and her guards go up.

"Very well. Hello, Mockingjay."

They repose me in front of the black backdrop and I re-read the lines as this- "I am the mockingjay! We will fight for our freedom and you, the people, will fight for me, the mockingjay! I will light your fires. I am the Mockingjay!"

I slump down before the take is over. Even though the name is better, the words still sound wrong. I don't need to point it out. Beetee does.

"That sounds awful," he says, coming in from the door connecting us to the Control Booth.

"I agree," Plutarch says.

Coin isn't happy. Neither is Krystal, the woman who worked so hard on the slogan, although she tries hard not to show it. She smiles tightly and sinks lower in her seat.

"We need to send Katniss out into action, slogan or no slogan," Haymith points out. All eyes are immediately on him. "Watching the Mockingjay fighting for our cause instead of just _telling _us to fight will boost people's morale."

Eventually it is decided that I will go out into combat tomorrow on the mission to help secure District Eleven. We need the food source- and so does the Capitol. If we could rob them of food, it would be the next best thing to putting them under siege.

I stay the night alone in our Pod, as my mother and Prim both have hospital duty. They are tending to wounded soldiers. I went into there on of the first days we were in District 13 and was instantly appalled by what I saw. I assumed that since I hadn't heard about any major battles that there weren't any fights at all. It was a naive assumption.

Soldiers came in every day, bloodied and broken. The majority showed signs of the use of bombs and guns, but occasionally one would show up with evidence of knives or torture.

The second day we were there, there was a large battle, and when I came into the hospital it was overflowing. People lay moaning everywhere, and nurses took the places of doctors. One man lay lying on a cot with half his leg cut off. A fourteen year old med student was trying to give him a tourniquet, and failing miserably. Before I knew what I was doing, I had taken the materials away from her and made on properly and quickly around his leg. I had glanced down at the blood covering my hands, flashing back to the moment on the Cornucopia when the blood on them had been Peeta's. I had stood up and ran back to my Pod, my hands shaking.

I almost relive the moment now, but as I lay in bed I decide not to visit Prim at the hospital. Who knows what I will find.

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	4. Bomb

**A/N: I am so so so sorry for the lack of updating! My doc manager wasn't working, and I have a huge assignment due tomorrow, so I'll only be able to update once or twice today, but I'll try to double update for two or three days next week to make up for it. Again, I'm sorry! Thanks to the amazing people who read this and, as always, enjoy!**

When I wake my wristwatch instructs me to skip breakfast and go straight to the Hangar, a giant underground room where District Thirteen keeps all their aircraft. There is a tunnel up to the surface for the aircraft. Coin is obviously absent, but Haymitch waits by the airplane with several soldiers, including Gale.

I want to ignore Gale, but I nod at him anyway. He smiles back, looking hesitant, and we board the plane without a word. On board, I have to sit up front with Haymitch, right behind the pilot. The soldiers sit on hard wooden benches behind us.

"So," Hamyitch says, and from that word I can tell he was sober. It shows just how much time I have been spending with him, that I can tell from a single word whether he was drunk or sober. "I'll be staying in the aircraft, which will be a few hundred yards away, under the cover of the woods. There is a large clearing several escaped rebels informed us about. We will be dropping you at the rebels stronghold, with the soldiers. Here's an earpiece." He hands me a small bit of black and gray plastic. "I'll talk to you. If you disobey me, I will have one glued in your ear." I nod.

The chopper begins to descend. The gusts of wind from the propellers flatten the flowers and grasses in the clearing. The tall pine trees sawy, the leaves of the trees fluttering wildly. As soon as we land the co-pilot jumps out and slides the door open. The soldiers and Gale jump out immediately and Haymitch shoves me out after them. I throw the earpiece in, trying to ignore the buffeting wind coming from the helicopter. Slowly, the blades slow. Three soldiers stay with Haymitch and the vehicle. My entourage surrounds me, Gale to my left. I am more then slightly puzzled. I knew Eleven wasn't completely under control, but I didn't think there were that many Peacekeepers. We stand still, and a moment later a smaller hovercraft lands. Three men in black armor with cameras climb out and join our party.

We slowly make our way through the woods, trying to be quiet. Most of the soldiers manage but the cameramen are loud, with heavy footfalls on the crunchy leaves and twigs.

We emerge to the chain link wall with barbed wire on the top. The soldiers lead the way around the fence to a where a gap is torn in the metal. It backs onto a steel building. They slowly lead us through the fence. Then the soldiers drop to the ground, crawling along through a small hole at the bottom of the nearest wall. I crawl through after Gale, and the cameramen barely manage to fit in after me with their armor and tripods.

Inside is a bustle of activity. Wounded people lie everywhere, but there are also medics rushing around and several people dressed in Peacekeeping uniforms that are clearly handmade. A few obvious officials have on black headsets and are checking in on people, or have their fingers pressed to their ears, nodding, as they receive more information.

One lady glances over at us, and then looks away before her head jerks back and she stares at us for real. She rushes over.

"Katniss! We've been waiting for you." She ushers me over to a bed where a sick man lies with his arm cut off. "We figured we'd get some shots of you with the wounded." I want to, but somehow it doesn't feel right. A little boy runs up and tugs on the back of my shirt. I turn to face him.

"Hi Katniss! I saw you in the Games! My momma says you're really nice. my name is Sam."

I stare down at the eyes so similar to Orville's, despite the difference in districts.

"Hi Sam," I say, and he grins widely. "My momma over there." He turns to point in the distance. "She's fixing my daddy and my sissy." He grabs my hand and leads me over to the corner. My crew follows me. I think the camera might be on, but I don't know. He stops in front of an exhausted woman who's sitting between two beds- one with a sick girl, and one with a man missing a hand. She turns to face me, but doesn't smile.

"Katniss Everdeen," she states my name. "Look what you're rebellion has done to my child- my husband." I am sure if the camera was running it would have stopped by now.

"It's not my rebellion."

"You're the symbol. In everyone's mind it is."

"If you don't want to fight you don't have to. But are you telling me you don't have any problem with the way things are run here?"

She looks down at her feet. "Maybe I do, but at least my husband wasn't dying before the rebellion."

"So you weren't ever hungry? You were never on the edge of starvation? You never worried that maybe this year your son would get placed in the Games, maybe this year he would be the one reaped, maybe this year-"

"Stop!" the woman screeches. "Stop! Stop!"

"I'm sorry but that is the truth. I know there are soldiers out there fighting for our cause, and I know there are families out there that hate me because they think I started it. In truth, this rebellion has been brewing ever since the first Hunger Games. The Capitol put it in place to keep us in line but all it ever did was give us a reason to hate them. We are fighting for the well being of all the children out there, and especially for the ones that get sent to death. We are fighting for al the starving families and all the people who get whipped for trying to keep their families alive. We are fighting for freedom from the constraints the Capitol has decided we must live with. And if we don't stand together to fight them- if you think they'll spare you because you weren't actively involved in the fight, then you're kidding yourself. They will slaughter every man, woman, and child involved in the rebellion and then say it was an accident. We fight together, and we'll win. Fight alone- you never know what will happen." The woman looks shocked and in a way I am too. I was never good with speeches, or words. That was Peeta's realm, or Gale's, although he usually won people over with just his good looks. I turn away and see the camera's red RECORDING light flashes to the green. All clear.

"Fantastic, Katniss. Now maybe we could have you record that while standing in front of-" A explosion rips through the air, interrupting the camerawoman and throwing us all onto our knees.

"What's happening?" A solider bellows.

"Explosion," Gale answers, relatively calm. "We need to find the main exit and evacuate everyone quickly. The Capitol may be bombing Katniss out." He points to what seems like a random solider, "Graywood. Take her to the helicopter and then have the pilot leave without us. Make sure the cameramen get on too. We'll get back another way. Go out the back door. Now move!" Graywood grabs my arm but I yank it free. "No."

"You heard him. We need to get you back to the helicopter."

"No."

"Come on!" he seems exasperated. "You're the symbol of the rebellion. If you die, everyone will feel like all hope is lost."

"One second." I grab the little boy's hand. The mother watches me for a second, and a second later lifts her little girl onto her father's gurney. I am wondering what she is doing when she starts to push it. "Let's move."

We barely make it to the back entrance before the second bomb hits somewhere below us. The ceiling starts to shake.

"MOVE!" I bark to the woman. I shove the boy forward.

"My daughter- my husband-" she stares helplessly at the bodies on the gurney that I have only just realized will not fit through the gap. Another bomb shakes the building. "Go with your son. I'll take them out the front door."

She looks unsure but finally nods and follows her young son out the back entrance.

People are pouring out the front door, mostly deserting the wounded on the gurneys. A few are being pulled outside. The man on the gurney stirs.

"Who- who are you?"

"Katniss. Your wife is taking your son to safety, and I have to try to get you out." Another tremor shakes the building, and I know only one more and it will collapse.

"I can- I can crawl."

I do my best to help him out of the best and he manages to shuffle out the back entrance. Seeing no other option, I lift the girl out of her bed and drag her behind me down the tunnel.

My solider waits for me with the cameramen and the woman and her son, who is hugging his father.

I pull the girl into my arms. "We have to move." I say to the family. The father shakily comes to his feet.

We go as fast as we can through the odds. Just as we make it to the clearing with the helicopter, I feel the final bomb drop.

The force makes me fall. I am immediately struck by terror for Gale. I force the girl into the soldier's hands. "Take them to Thirteen. I am waiting here for the other soldiers. That's an order." He looks like he wants to protest, but then I say, "That's an order!" again, and he nods, and slowly begins the process of loading them. I wonder for a second where Haymitch went- wasn't he supposed to stay in the copter?- before I push the thought aside, deeming it unimportant. A second before I run away the mother catches my arm. "Thank you. I'm Katarina Goldsmith. Maybe I'll see you in Thirteen." I nod and dash away, not waiting to see if the solider follows my orders and takes off.

Halfway back to the entrance I smell the smoke. I run faster.

The tall building has been reduced to a blob of smoldering metal. Smoke blows in every direction. The only explanation I can think of is that there was something flammable inside, but it seems unlikely, granted the only thing inside that building that wasn't fire-resistant were the sheets and the humans. Then again, it was a Capitol bombing, and it's very possible that they developed a fire hot enough to burn metal.

I dash through the rubble, yelling Gale's name. Many people are doing the same thing as me. Only the names they are screaming desperately, almost in denial, aren't Gale's but their loved one's.

I see a few Thirteen soldiers in a corner. I recognize one as the man who asked what was happening when the first bomb hit.

"Where's Gale?" I ask, grabbing the poor man by the shoulder and spinning him around.

"I- well, I-"

"Tell me," I say frantically.

"He- he was trying to get the wounded out when the last bomb hit. We can't find him anywhere. I'm sorry Katniss. He's- he's gone."

I back away slowly. No, no, no no no. "No. No. No. You're- you're lying to me." Faintly, almost imperceptibly, he shakes his head. "No." I fall to my knees, burying my head in my hands. There's a light touch on my shoulder, almost hesitantly, but I angrily shove his hand away.

"Gale, Gale, Gale, Gale," I pant, sobs coming from deep in my throat. Tears cascade down my cheeks.

I scream. My voice is high pitched, but I keep screaming. The raw noise drowns out the sobs of the weeping people, the sizzle of the fires yet to be put out, and the sound of my own misery.

I feel like I am drowning.

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	5. Bunker

**A/N: Double update today! Okay, so I'll double update tomorrow as well, and Tuesday and Wednesday too. Okay? So we're even? :) Enjoy!**

I lay on the forest floor, staring up at the green leaves above me. I am sobbing, but they are dry sobs. I have already cried so much, I don't have any tears left.

A snap of a twig makes me jerk my head around because despite Gale's silent hunter's tread I'm hoping it will be him. When I see the red boots I sigh and look away, unable to stop the fresh round of tears that spring up in my eyes. Haymitch sits on a rock a few feet away.

"Sweetheart," he doesn't say anything else.

"Gale," I say simply.

"I'll get him for you." Tears suddenly brim in my eyes.

"You can't."

"Why not?" Haymitch isn't grasping the concept.

"He's dead."

Haymitch seems stunned into silence. I don't bother to look at his face. A mockingjay flies above my head. I remember the song I sang to Gale ( A/N: Broken Fire!) and I feel like crying again.

"He can't be, sweetheart."

"He is."

"No, I mean he actually can't be dead."

"He is! Get over it! Obviously he can be!" I snap at him, a tear dripping down my cheek, coming from some unknown source of salt water.

"Sweetheart. He had a bulletproof vest, and force resistant body armor. Based on Beetee's testing he physically can't be dead, unless he was dumb enough to take off his armor, which you and I both know he isn't."

"I don't care," I say, but the slightest hint of hope is building in my throat.I do my best to push it down.

"You should. And I know you do. Did they find his body?"

I want to scream at him that even if they didn't he's still dead, but I just shake my head.

Haymitch sighs and stands with a grunt. "Let's go find your lover."

I want to get up, but I force myself to keep still on the ground. "He's not there."

"Why don't you want to at least try?"

"Because it means I think he's alive and it means I'm hoping and then when I don't find him I'll be broken all over again!"

"Fine. If I find him, I promise not to tell you." Haymitch gets up and stalks off.

When I am sure he's gone I start to sing.

"I was fearless,

until you hurt me, now I'm broken,

shattered into pieces,

and I know that you didn't mean to hurt me but I'm

broken

forever and today."

My voice breaks many times while I sing. I am hoarse and have to take breaks to catch my breath.

"You left me all alone

in the middle of a war zone

didn't even try

to stay alive.

"We'll never be together

no matter what they say

because you're gone

forever and today.

I was fearless

until you hurt me now I'm broken

shattered into pieces

and I know that you didn't mean to hurt me but I'm

broken

forever and today."

For once, the mockingjays haven't fallen silent at my singing. But they take up the tune nonetheless.

I don't know how long I lay there. Eventually, I can see a black sky dotted with stars peeping out between the trees instead of a blue one with a large yellow sun.

I think I fall asleep because when I wake Haymitch is sitting on the rock again.

"I'm not going to tell you if I found him," Haymitch says.

"I know you didn't." A moment later I sigh. "I have to go back don't I?"

"Unless you want to Capitol to win."

"I'm not sure I even care anymore," I say bitterly, staring up at the dark sky.

"Think of your sister. Of her boyfriend. Your mother. You're friends. All the innocents. You would let them die just because of Gale?"

"Maybe. Not Prim but- everyone else... I honestly would. I already know that."

"Then you're a disgusting human being."

"I know that too."

Haymitch sighs. "I didn't mean that. Just- come back. Prim is probably already worried."

After his footsteps have faded most of the way into the woods, I get up. I don't bother to brush the dead leaves off my back. It doesn't matter anyways. I follow the sound of his faint footsteps, and eventually find myself in the same clearing the helicopter landed in yesterday. A smaller craft waits, with a pilot and Haymitch. I sigh and walk up to him.

"I'm ready." He doesn't smile at me, just stares.

"Get in," he says finally, pulling the door open.

The ride back to Thirteen is a long one. The whole time my head is filled with the image of Gale's body- what it must look like.

When we get off the plane my mother and Prim are waiting. Wordlessly, I fall into their arms.

I don't have a schedule for the day. I check my wristwatch, but it just keeps flashing yellow- the signal for free time. I just go back to my Pod, mimicking what I was doing in the forest.

Around dinner my sister brings me a tray of food, which I feed to Buttercup. At least someone will be getting some use out of the food.

My mother comes in at about midnight, and I fake sleep. She's out cold within minutes.

I finally decide to go visit Prim, who is no doubt taking the night shift.

When I enter the hospital it is filled with overflow patients, flown in from Eleven. Prim is in the corner, tending to a sick girl. When I take a closer look I see it's the daughter of the woman I talked to earlier. The mother sits by the edge of her bed.

"Ma'am?" I say cautiously.

Her head jerks around until her eyes meet mine. "Katniss!"

"Katarina," I say flatly. It's not an exclamation of surprise or happiness like hers, or dismay. It's simply a fact- I can't bring myself to feel any sort of excitement or surprise at the moment.

"Your boyfriend is over there." She gestures to a section of the hospital.

"My boyfriend?"

"You know. The solider who couldn't stop staring at you. Gray eyes, black hair."

"He's dead." My voice sounds rough and cracks on dead.

"I can assure you he's not. I spoke to him not only ten minutes ago, and he seemed stable."

I dash off, trying not to keep my hopes up. I hear Katarina call a faint goodbye but I ignore it and run in the direction she told me to. Our soldiers are coming into view. There's a couple of men I recognize and then I see Posy sitting on the edge of a bed and laughing. She obstructs my view of the solider. Hazelle, Rory, and Vick are with her.

Shoving people aside, I sprint forward. I can clearly see his face. Gale. He has a huge scratch along one side that will no doubt be a scar, and his entire torso is wrapped in white gauze. But he is alive.

"Gale," I breathe. He doesn't hear me. "Gale." I say louder. This time his eyes jerk up to meet mine, and immediately his expression softens. "Catnip!"

I launch myself onto him. "Gale," I say, my voice muffled by the gauze bandages wrapped around him. Suddenly I pull back and hit him on his uninjured shoulder. "You idiot! Why didn't you tell me you were alive? I've been freaking out, Gale- I thought you were dead!"

"Hey, hey!" He grabs my tightly clenched fists before I can hit him again. "I'm fine, alright? Who told you I was dead?"

"One- one of the soldiers on the platoon said that you had gone in and they hadn't been able to find you."

"Well, I couldn't find them either. I was helping evacuate the injured and had just gotten outside when the thing just- blew. Then I found a group of soldiers from Thirteen I didn't know, but they helped me find the group that was heading back here. And they bandaged me up and everything. I'm fine Catnip."

Sighing, I squeeze his hand. "You can't do that to me again, Gale. I was a mess."

He looks like he's trying to keep from smirking. "Hm. A mess, were you?"

A blush, looking down at our conjoined hands. "Shut up, Hawthorne."

"Ooh, the last name card. That's low, Katniss, real low."

"Shut up!" I say again, and this time he does, smiling.

"So, Everdeen, do I get a kiss?" He puckers his lips exaggeratedly. Rolling my eyes, I comply.

"Ew!" Posy shrieks.

I smile against Gale's lips. Eventually, he has to pull back he is laughing so hard.

"The oldest boys have been corrupted by the Everdeen girls. Who knows what will happen to Vick," Posy says, the tone of her voice mature and all-knowing.

"Where did you hear that?" Gale asks with a smile.

"Well, umm, she may have heard me say it," Hazelle says, and develops a sudden interest in her shoes.

I grin. "She said it to me, actually."

Gale looks torn between being embarrassed and angry. He decides on embarrassed. His ears turn bright red, and a silly expression I have never seen before appears on his face.

"Mom," he moans lightly.

"Oh don't be ridiculous. We were just having a little girl talk."

Now it was my turn to blush.

"Really. I didn't know Katniss had the ability to talk like a girl. She's usually so- independent." I fake scowl, but secretly love it.

Suddenly, the room shakes.

"Probably an earthquake," Gale says, but he looks worried.

The room shakes again and a few people start to look worried. With a crackle the speakers come on.

"Please put into process Emergency Plan #4. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." I don't recognize the voice on the loudspeaker, but it doesn't matter.

"We have to get downstairs," Hazelle says frantically.

"Take- take the kids." Gale says. "Help my mother, Katniss. I'll meet you downstairs."

"No. Hazelle, take the kids. Rory, help your mother. I'll bring Gale." Hazelle nods and leads the kids away.

I rush to get a wheelchair but they are all gone, taken by victims with broken legs or amputated limbs. I hurry back to Gale's bedside.

"We have to move," I announce as the hospital shakes again. I grab his arm and lead him out of the hospital, half supporting him.

We are only a flight of stairs away from the bunker when the doors begin to close. Immediately everyone speeds up.

I pull Gale faster but just feet from the closing door he stops.

"Go without me," he gasps.

"No," I say forcefully and drag him through the door at the last second. I see the frantic faces of the people waiting outside, and I want to look away. But one person catches my eye. It's the girl, the daughter of Katarina. I whirl to see her mother, father, and brother behind me. Her father runs towards her as best he can, but before he even reaches the door to the bunker. It closes shut with a ping of finality. It's as though the faces of the people that didn't make it are burned in the back of my mind. Nothing happens. I'm wondering why they closed the doors so soon when the bunker is shaken, more powerfully then any of the other bombs. I press my ear against the steel door and can hear faint screams. The bunker is shaken again, even more powerfully, and the faint screams I can hear fade. I turn to see Katarina and her family staring shell-shocked at the door. Her hand is on her mouth.

I can still see the people outside, their expressions terrified. I stagger into my compartment- labeled the same as my pod. Gale is on the other side of the bunker.

"If you need me..." He leaves his sentence open. I nod.

Prim and my mother are already in the compartment.

"Katniss!" my mother exclaims. Prim spins around, tear tracks on her face.

"Thank God! We thought- we thought you didn't make it," Prim exclaims, coming forward to hug me.

"Where- where is Rory?"

"He should already be here. Hazelle brought him." I say in confusion.

Gale bursts into our pod. "Where is my family?"

Wordlessly, I run out the door. I can hear his, for once, loud footsteps following me. I race through the bunker, glancing quickly in each room I see. I run right past D19, before I backpedal.

Posy is sitting in there with Rory.

"What are you doing?" Gale asks, reaching forward to hug his siblings. "Where's Mom and Vick?"

Rory glances at Posy, and back at us. "I thought they were with you."

"Rory- go back to Prim's. The number the same as her Pod. Take Posy. I'll meet you there, with Vick and Mom." Rory nods, but the worried expression on his face seems so out of place on a thirteen year old. I turn and run away.

We search through all the compartments but still cannot find Hazelle or Vick. I can feel Gale start to panic.

"Let's check the hospital," I say, but his face just tightens at the thought.

I am just about to give up hope when I spot Hazelle sitting next to a bed.

"Gale! Hazelle!" His head whips around so face I am surprised he doesn't get whiplash.

He runs over to her bed, but I hang back. So when I do go over there, I am surprised to see him crying. I immediately am gripped with fear. "Gale?"

He moves just slightly, but it's enough for me to see the person he was concealing.

Vick lays on a hospital bed, scratched up and unconscious. The sheets and his shirt are red, soaked with blood. I gasp when I see the source of it.

Where his left arm should lie is nothing more then a stump.

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	6. Arm

**A/N: Triple update? I don't know, I finished my paper and figured I'd write this. So I'll double update tomorrow (Monday for me) and Tuesday. Enjoy!**

"What happened?" I gasp, staring down at the wound. His entire left forearm, from the elbow down, is gone. Vick moans in his sleep and rolls over.

"He- he- Vick..." Hazelle doesn't seem capable of finishing a sentence. Finally she manages to say, "I sent Rory and Posy ahead. Vick had fallen and hurt his ankle. I stayed with him. We were on the steps when the smaller bomb hit- it was right before the first one and only knocked out one stairwell. It was why they closed the doors so early. He fell over and the next thing I knew- this had happened."

I put my hand to my mouth, but not because of the horror. The smell- I can almost taste the blood, salt and rust, terrible...

"Will he live?" Gale's voice is brisk, and shakes me out of my reverie. I know that tone of voice. I've used it enough. When you need to separate yourself from the tragedy, that's the voice you use.

"The- the doctor's say he should," Hazelle says.

"I'll- I'll go back and tell the kids what happened. I'm sure my mother will want to help." I say, standing up. This is not a place for me. it's a place for family, not friends. I kiss Gale on the cheek, saying, "I'll be back."

The tension is palpable in my compartment. Prim sits with Rory on her bunk, holding his hand. His head is down, and his face is red. It looks like he's been crying. Posy sits on my bed, looking confused. My mother is standing in the corner, glancing over a thick, leather bound book.

"Katniss!" Posy cries in her high voice, and Rory and Prim's heads snap up.

"Where is my mother? Where is Vick?" Rory rushes over to me, looking desperate.

"They are in the hospital," I reply. I can see the relief in his eyes, but it's quickly replaced with concern.

"Why- why are they in the hospital?" he asks suspiciously.

"Hazelle is fine," I answer quickly. "Vick-"

"What's wrong with my brother?" Rory asks frantically.

"He-he lost his left arm."

Rory gapes at me. "He what?"

"His left forearm. He lost it in an explosion."

Prim puts one of her hands on her mouth. She places her other hand on Rory's arm. He puts his head in his hands.

Posy waddles over to Rory, placing a tiny hand on his hip. "What's wrong, Rory?"

"Vick," he manages to say before I can hear him start to sob.

Prim leads him to her bunk and I realize how grown up she seems now. The twelve year old I left behind all those months ago is so different from the fourteen year old in front of me now.

Rory jerks his head up suddenly. "I want to go see him," he says, eyes red and puffy and tears still streaming down his cheeks.

"What?" I ask, surprised.

"I have to go see him," Rory says. Knowing it is not my place to tell him not to, I nod.

As soon as Hazelle is in sight, Rory takes off on a run. I follow him slowly, nodding to the people who call my name.

Vick is a ghastly white, his blue lips a sharp contrast to his otherwise colorless complexion. The hospital is rushing about around us, with doctors and nurses screaming instructions at each other and wheeling patients around on gurneys.

I am about to back away when Gale grabs my arm.

"Katniss." All he says is my name. But the look in his eyes- it's hollow and empty, like everything he ever fought for has been taken from him. I grab his hand, and lead him away. He obediently follows, but not without a backward glance to Vick's hospital bed, which is now surrounded by the rest of his family.

I take him to a dark corner of the bunker I had notice earlier. Sandwiched between a small supply closet and a water tank, I am reminded of my hiding place upstairs.

The moment we are out of sight of everyone Gale starts to cry. I don't really know what to do, so I just pat him on the back uncomfortably. He leans forward, tears in his eyes, and I find myself imitating Prim as I pull his face close to mine.

"Gale," I whisper and then I am kissing him. He kisses me back, hard, but for some reason it doesn't feel right. I pull back, and then I realize why.

Carl is standing in the darkest corner, staring at us. His green eyes glimmer in the darkness.

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," he says, voice flat.

"I didn't know you came to Thirteen," I reply. Gale's gaze is flickering in between us, and he looks like he'd be confused if he wasn't already devastated about Vick.

"I couldn't exactly go back to the Capitol. What did you expect I'd do?"

I blush. "I don't know." I turn my attention back to Gale. He's still staring blankly at my uncle, uncomprehending.

"You remember Carl. Right Gale? My uncle? I told you about him." After a moment, Gale nods.

"Come on," I say, taking his hand. "We can find somewhere else." I can't help but look back at Carl. He stands motionlessly in the darkness, staring at me as I lead the semi-catatonic Gale back to our compartment.

The Capitol continues to drop bombs. Each time it seems there will be no more, another explodes. It's as though it will never end.

I manage to finally get Gale to lay down, but when I go to visit Hazelle she has fallen asleep next to Vick. I leave her.

I lay down next to Gale, and just as I am drifting off to sleep another bomb hits, throwing me out of bed. This one is more powerful then before, and for a terrifying moment I think it has penetrated the bunker. I run outside, where several officials are assuring everyone that everything is fine.

I don't how much later- hours, days- it is when we get out. It's a continued stream of bombs. When they finally do stop, no one believes it. We wait anxiously for the next bomb to strike, wondering if this one will be the one that breaks the ceiling, if this one will be the one to kill us all...

Finally, Coin's crackling voice comes over the loudspeaker. "There are no more detected bombs. You may return to your normal schedules, but be prepared for another emergency evacuation." The moment her voice stops, the doors begin to creak, and then open. I don't want to look, but I am frozen, staring as the gap between the doors gets wider and wider.

A few bodies lay twisted in grotesque positions, burned black. They are surrounded by ashes of what I assume are people. The tall metal staircases behind them are twisted and melted, barely maintaining their shape at all. It will be hard to trek back up them. I watch as people run outside- a few cradling the heads of burnt bodies, another sobbing in the ashes. I try to look away, but my eyes refuse to obey. A delicate hand lays itself on my shoulder, slowly turning me and leading me away.

Only when we finally stop walking do I look away from the bodies and instead up at the face of the person who lead me here.

I don't recognize her. She has long red hair, and paired with the delicate features I would assume she Capitol if it weren't for her gray Seam eyes. "I'm Anetha."

In that moment I remember Damian very clearly. "Her name is Anetha." His voice echos through my head.

"Damian's fiance," I say, looking up at her. I glance at her neck and see the silver chain hanging around her neck, and although the pendant is hidden, I have no doubt that it is the twin rings Damian showed me before entering the arena.

She nods. "He told you about me then?" she asks.

It is my turn to nod. "He told me what happened. I'm sorry."

She wipes the tears from her eyes. "It's silly, but it's even worse now. I feel like- I don't know, if I hadn't lost the baby I would still have him, or at least a part of him." Almost unconsciously she places her hands over her stomach.

I clear my throat. "Thank you."

She just nods, a distant look in her eyes. She then turns and walks away.

I stare at her retreating form before sighing and turning back to the doors. People are streaming out now, stepping over the bodies but ignoring the thin layer of ash that clings to the soles of their shoes. I shudder.

I go back to my compartment and find it empty aside from Prim.

"Where is everyone?" I ask, spinning in a circle and looking around as though they might be hiding from me.

"They went upstairs. Gale went to go help Hazelle take Vick up to the hospital, and Mother took Posy and Rory up to their compartment."

I can tell she's trying to be strong, but there's a quaver in her voice that seeps through her tough exterior.

"Prim," I say gently, and that's all it takes. The tears that come to her eyes are soon rolling thick and fast down her face.

"I'm just so worried!" she chokes out. "What if something were to happen to someone! I mean Vick already got hurt and I keep worrying it will happen again, only worse! What if you got caught in an explosion and died, or Rory- god, Rory!" She breaks into a fresh round of sobs.

I pull her into a tight hug. "Prim, don't worry. Nothing is going to happen. If anything, this has proven we'll all be fine. We're safe here in Thirteen, okay?" She nods, wiping her nose on her sleeve. I force a smile on my face, and she is so wrapped up in her own emotions she doesn't notice it is a fake.

I didn't want to lie to her, but I would rather have her ignorant to the dangers surrounding us and happy then always on edge unwilling to trust anyone, like me.

I shake the thought from my mind and lead Prim upstairs. As we pass the bodies, I see a woman still sobbing over one of the blackened corpses, this one with a silver badge melted into his chest. I wince and avert my eyes.

We find my mother waiting in our compartment and when Prim asks where Rory is she informs her he is with Posy at their Pod. She dashes off before any of us can say anything else.

I fiddle with a piece of rope tied to the banister on one of out beds. I tie knots, then loosen them, then make them again. I form a noose, then undo it and form it again. I work with the rope until my hands are raw. When I look up, I see my mother watching me.

"We'll be fine." It's been said so many times to me that the words should have no effect. But it's the way she says it- so powerfully, that she actually believes what she's saying- that calms me down. I look down at the watch that, despite what has happened the last few days, has miraculously stayed on. Just like Thirteen, it's regulation, it's normal, and just like everyone else's.

For some reason, these trivial facts calm me. Despite knowing it's only five o'clock and dinner will be served soon, I lay back on my pillow and drift off to sleep, eager for a good night's rest.

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	7. Haymitch

**A/N: I have a double update for today, so this is one of two! Also, my email is broken, so I'm not getting alerted for review/favorite stories/story alerts, so I have no idea if you guys are liking this, but please review anyway! Enjoy!**

"Katniss?" A sweet voice wakes me. As I sit up, rubbing my eyes, I have a hard time remembering what my dream had been about. For once, my sleep has been free of nightmares. I turn to the small girl who had woken me.

"Posy! What are you doing in my compartment at this hour?" I scold playfully, picking her up and tickling her stomach.

She giggles. "Gale brought me!" She gestures behind her and I follow her hand to see Gale standing in the doorway, smiling at me. I blush slightly. I'm not even dressed. Wait, where did that come from? I've never cared about that before. I guess before we weren't dating...

I smile at him, then put Posy back on the ground. "I'll meet you in the dining hall in a few minutes, okay?" I direct my words to Gale. He nods, grabs his younger sister, and heads off into the distance.

I am soon down at the dining hall, dressed in the usual District Thirteen garb. I set my tray- which has half an apple, a glass of cider, and a bowl of mash- on the table, sliding into the seat next to Gale's.

"Hey, Catnip," he says, pressing a kiss into my hair.

I take a bite of my apple, wait until no one is listening, and lean up to his ear to say, "How's Vick?"

Expecting him to stiffen and push me away, I am surprised when he just sighs. "He's okay. He still hasn't woken, but the doctor's assure us he'll be fine."

"So he-" I gulp, "he-"

"He doesn't know yet?" Gale supplies. "No, he doesn't."

Prim interrupts us, changing the subject. "Did you hear?"

"What?" I ask, not really curious.

Our watches beep, interrupting her. I glance down, and see it directs me to compartment A-4.

"I have to go," I sigh.

"Same," Gale replies. I glance at his watch and find the same message found on my screen displayed on his. Slightly confused as to why they would want both of us, I let it go. At least, for whatever it is, I'll be with Gale.

We dump our trays, and then head to compartment A-4. My incertitude grows when we arrive at the compartment and find it completely empty.

We sit at the small table and have only been there for a minute before our watches beep again. They redirect us to level WW, where we went to shoot the Mockingjay video originally.

We find Beetee, Coin, Haymitch, Plutarch, and one of the tech experts from Thirteen.

"Took you long enough," an obviously semi-drunk Haymitch grumbles.

Gale leans in to whisper in my ear. "Is he drunk?"

I nod, confused. Isn't it obvious?

"Okay, so we finished the video for the campaign," Coin interrupts.

I turn to her. "Can I see it?"

She rolls her eyes, and Plutarch answers for her. "Of course."

A large white screen comes down from the ceiling, and after a moment, an image is projected across it.

It starts with a series of words blazing across the screen; starvation, hunger, death, pain, innocence. Each one is engulfed by flames, leaving a black backdrop for the next one. After a moment, I realize the supposedly black backdrop is actually ashes.

Then I come on a screen. For a moment, I am talking and then it flashes to images of the rubble, the people crying. Then it comes back to me. The whole time I am speaking.

"I know there are soldiers out there fighting for our cause, and I know there are families out there that hate me because they think I started it. In truth, this rebellion has been brewing ever since the first Hunger Games. The Capitol put it in place to keep us in line, but all it ever did was give us a reason to hate them. We are fighting for the well being of all the children out there, and especially for the ones that get sent to death. We are fighting for all the starving families and all the people who get whipped for trying to keep their families alive. We are fighting for freedom from the constraints the Capitol has decided we must live with. And if we don't stand together to fight them- if you think they'll spare you because you weren't actively involved in the fight- then you're kidding yourself. They will slaughter every man, woman, and child involved in the rebellion and then say it was an accident. We fight together, and we'll win. Fight alone- you never know what will happen."

Slowly, my face fades into black. Then a fire bursts across the screen saying, 'We fight together, and we'll win.' Finally, the screen goes dark for the final time.

A short smattering of applause breaks out, led by Plutarch and Beetee. They quickly stop when no one else claps.

"So," Coin says. "What did you think?" Haymitch speaks up before the rest of us can.

"It was a hell of a lot better than the original plan." All he gets in response is a glare from Coin.

"Ummm, if I may?" the tentative tech expert asks.

Coin nods at her. "Of course, Malorie."

"I was thinking, since Beetee is so close to breaking into the television channel from the Capitol, maybe it would be nice if we put together shorter videos. Just so we can flash them as the firewall comes and goes," the woman- Malorie- says.

Beetee nods. "Good idea."

Coin scowls; obviously annoyed she had no part in the decision. "Fine. But you need to have them ready by tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" Malorie calls after her. Coin whirls around, and if I were Malorie, I'd be cowering in fear.

"Tomorrow the Capitol is broadcasting some sort of show; the signals are being sent all over Panem. It will be the perfect time to break into the firewall." Then she spins on her heels and leaves.

Beetee shoos us out of the studio, claiming he and Malorie needed quiet to work. Seeing as, according to our wristwatches, we should still be on level WW, we decide to go outside.

Gale salutes the soldiers as we pass them, and I wince as they salute back. "Soldier Hawthorne." The commander nods at him, then turns back around to drill the soldiers currently training.

Gale somehow manages to get out to the woods, though how he did without orders I don't understand. It must have something to do with his new status.

He leads me to a small stream, familiar only in the fact it leads to the pond everyone bathes in. I sit on a rock near the bank, not talking.

"What's wrong, Catnip?" Gale asks, lying down next to me.

"Are you really going to war?" I blurt out.

He sighs, as though expecting the question. "Yes. It's my duty to the Districts. I can't sit back and expect other people to fight this war for me."

I laugh, but it sounds slightly hysterical. "That never was you." My voice is an octave higher than usual. "I mean, really, after what happened to you, or what happened to Vick, any normal person would give up." I laugh in the same deranged manner. "But not you. Never you, Gale."

"Katniss," he whispers and pulls me into a hug. My breathing slows as he holds me.

"Promise me something," I say softly.

"Anything," he vows.

"Come back home." He doesn't reply, but it's not necessary. For some things, you don't need words.

We only return to the building for dinner. We spend the day in the woods, ignoring the constant beeping of our wristwatches. Eventually, Gale finds a sharp stone he uses to pick the lock. I know we'll get in trouble for it later, but right now I could care less.

He slips the watch back on my wrist before we go back, and for the first time I pay attention to the message glowing on the screen.

Attack in District Six. Report to compartment A-1 by six o'clock.

According to my watch, it's already five forty five.

"Gale!" I exclaim. "You need to go!"

"So do you."

So we find ourselves, ten minutes later, in compartment A-1. There are dozens of soldiers in there, which surprises me, considering they placed us in one of the smaller compartments.

"So," Coin begins. "The Capitol had already bombed Twelve," she gestures to the District Twelve soldiers who were grouped together- me, Gale, and a few mining crews, "and now they have struck District Six."

Slightly confused, I glance around. What was so powerful they had to bomb Six?

"They completely destroyed Twelve- aside from the Victor's Village, but thankfully Six is much larger, so they were only able to raze part of it."

A solider asks my question before I can. "Madam, what was so valuable about Six?"

"They are providing us with medicines and remedies to cure our soldiers. Without their help, we would soon have a drastically lowered population for our army. Thankfully, the rebel stronghold remains intact. We will still receive the medicines."

There are no sighs of relief, but the sudden change of feelings from strained worry to relief is palpable.

"Solider Everdeen and Soldier Hawthorne, stay after. The rest of you - dismissed." Slowly, the soldiers file out of the compartment.

"Beetee has, apparently, found a way to break the firewall. If, indeed, he has, we will need to film more with you in it, Katniss. Now, we've agreed that since you were originally unwilling to do this, we would send you out with someone you trust. We have chosen Soldier Hawthorne for several reasons. You will be sent out to District Two in an attempt to win allegiance. You won't actually have to do anything- it's all for the cameras. Then you will return here, and Solider Hawthorne will continue on his work."

"What work?" I interrupt.

She raised her eyebrows. "It is classified, and none of your concern."

"I have a right to know."

"He will continue to the Capitol, and help to capture President Snow."

"No! No, you can't send him in there."

She stares at me disdainfully. "It is already done. We simply need more soldiers for the mission."

I can almost hear Gale's silent sigh. I step forward before he can stop me. "Send me. It would be great for people to watch the Mockingjay kill the President." I know she said it was a capture trip, but she's not fooling anyone.

"It's a capture trip," she says, but there is no conviction in her voice.

"Okay. Either way, it will boost the rebel's morale."

Slowly, she nods. "I'll have you signed up by tomorrow."

"Who else is going on the trip?" I ask.

"You, Gale, a few District Thirteen citizens, and Finnick."

I feel a little guilty as we walk back to our compartments. I haven't even made an attempt to see Finnick.

Gale is oddly silent next to me. I stop in front of his compartment, grabbing his wrist when he makes to go in.

"Gale, what's wrong?" I ask. He stays frozen a moment before turning to me.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Why not? You did."

"Yes, and I'm just a soldier. You're more. You're the symbol of the rebellion, and if you get injured, everyone will lose morale."

"Gale, I'll be fine. You volunteered, and now I have as well. That isn't my fault."

Gale sighs.

"I better go," I say.

"Where?"

"I'm visiting some of the other victors," I say. "See you." He nods.

I have no idea what compartment Finnick will be in, so I decide to find Haymitch. He's dead drunk in his room. "Haymitch," I say impatiently. He doesn't move. "Haymitch!" I say louder, leaning over. That's when I notice the blood.

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	8. Attack

**A/N: Hi! Double update! The rest of the week should just be regular updates, unless I miss a day, and then the next day I'll double. I'm going on a week-long computer-less vacation in two weeks, so I hope to have this finished posting by then! Thanks to the people who read this, and especially to those who review! Enjoy!**

I stare almost blankly at the long cut down Haymitch's right arm. Blood is pooled around both our feet. Suddenly I come back to myself. I scream, sharp and shrill, and only moments later medics come running.

"Crap," I hear a voice behind me whisper. Unwilling to take my eyes off Haymitch for a moment, I try to identify him from the string of swearwords being issued from his mouth. It isn't hard.

"Finnick," I try to say, but my voice cracks.

"Shit," he says, and a moment later I feel his hand on my shoulder. "Katniss."

"What?" I snap, turning to him.

He doesn't flinch at my expression. "You're not helping anyone here. Come on."

I prepare to shake my head but find myself nodding. Finnick leads me from the room and into a compartment near mine which I presume is his.

A woman sits inside. With her long, dark hair and sea green eyes she could be anyone from District Four.

"Hello," she says politely. "Who are you?"

It has been such a long time since I have been asked that I am unprepared. I find myself stammering. "Uh- uh K-Kat-"

Finnick interrupts me. "Annie, this is Katniss. Katniss, this is Annie."

I realize she must be the woman who was driven crazy in the Games. I nod, quickly recognizing her.

She turns to Finnick. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," he says, but even I can tell he's hiding something.

"Finnick, tell me," she says, and he obeys.

"Haymitch has been severely injured," Finnick says and Annie gasps.

Until that moment I didn't think of it as a grave injury. For some reason I had been picturing it as a thin scratch that would heal in a few hours, not the long slash it really was. I can't help but wonder what caused it. Annie speaks up, voicing my thoughts.

"What do you think happened?"

Finnick sighs. "It could have been anything. An accident with a knife, he could have gotten drunk and done it to himself- it wouldn't have been the first time."

His comment catches my attention. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Finnick seems uncomfortable, but apparently Annie has no qualms about telling me because she speaks up.

"About ten years ago, apparently the stress became too much and he tried to kill himself," she says.

"What?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"The death toll had become too much for him. All the children, all the dead..." Her voice fades off, and a sort of vacant look comes into her eye. She stares at me in confusion.

"Who are you?" she asks.

Finnick intercedes before I can reply. "She's no one, Annie. Just someone who knows Haymitch."

"Oh. I'm very sorry he tried to kill himself again." Compassion is once again present in her eyes. Was this what people meant by insane?

I just nod. "I think I should go check on him..." I hurry out of the room, barely hearing Annie's call of, "Do come back soon!"

I make it to the hospital and am immediately overwhelmed. Patients fill every available bed, and some lie on gurneys or even on the cold stone floor. I carefully make my way through the crowd, until finally I find a familiar looking doctor.

"Can you tell me where Haymitch is?" she glances down at me, shakes her head, looks away, then glances down again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you," she says, a light blush creeping up her cheeks. "He's this way."

She quickly maneuvers her way through the crowd, leaving me struggling to catch up with her. She leads me to a door at the back of the hospital. "He's in here," she tells me, then disappears.

Hesitantly, I open the steel door. A few men lie, broken, on cots spread throughout the room. Haymitch is immediately distinguishable, not by his visitors, but by his lack of them. A wave of pity sweeps through me and I hurry to his bedside.

He appears to be sleeping. I perch on the edge of the bed, doing my best not to jostle it. He shudders, his eyes opening a little bit. When he sees me sitting on the end of his cot, they open fully.

"Sweetheart. What are you doing here?" His voice is hoarse and rough, how it would sound after a few days of not using it.

"I came to visit you. What happened Haymitch?"

He winces. "Well..."

"Did you try to kill yourself? Were you attacked?"

"I can't remember." His words stop me short.

"You can't- you can't remember," I repeat slowly.

He nods, then winces and stops as the movement jostles his bandaged arm. "I have no recollection of any of the time between when you left level WW and a little while ago, when I woke up for the first time."

I sigh. "Great. Just great."

"What happened then?"

It takes me a moment to realize he's not joking, and that he actually doesn't know. "They found you in a pool of blood with your arm slit," I gesture to his right arm, now bandaged with thick white gauze. "They said you were lucky to be alive."

Haymitch frowns. "I don't remember any of that..."

"They said you were found with a bottle of liquor," I suggest. His frown deepens.

"But I didn't have anything to drink."

"I thought you said you couldn't remember anything," I accuse him.

"I don't! I'm not drunk, in case you haven't noticed," he points out.

"Well maybe..."

"Face it, sweetheart, either I attempted to kill myself fully sober or there's a traitor who wanted to make it seem like a suicide."

The room is silent for a moment, neither of us speaking. The quiet is broken when the door is thrown open and Effie runs in.

"Are you alright? Are you alright?" She hurries forward, fussing over him.

"I'm fine," he says gently, catching her hands in his. They stare at each other. Neither Effie nor Haymitch moves.

Awkwardly, I leave the room. As I shut the door, I can swear I see a look of almost- love- in Haymitch's eyes. It takes me a moment to remember the night on the train.

I smile faintly. Maybe Haymitch will get his girl after all.

I make my way back to my compartment. In the hallway I collide with a little toddler, no more then three years old. He falls, and starts sobbing.

Frantically, I try to quiet him. "Shush, it's going to be alright," I crouch down next to him, wiping the tears form his face. "What's your name, little guy?"

He stares up at me with intelligent sea green eyes, obviously from Four. "I'b Batthew," his chubby lips struggle to form the words.

"Matthew, eh?" He nods. "Who's your mommy?"

"Mommy!" He obviously doesn't know her real name, and I shouldn't expect him to. I sigh, and scoop him up.

"Well, Matthew, let's go find your mommy." We search for a few minutes, and I soon find the frantic woman.

"Mommy!" Matthew calls when she comes into sight. Her neck whips around, and the relief on her face is obvious.

"Oh thank god." She runs over and takes him from me. "Thank you."

I nod, and watch her retreating back. Matthew waves at me over her shoulder, his little fist curling in and out of a little ball.

I smile and watch him go. A moment later I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"You're good with him." I don't need to turn to see him.

"Gale." My voice isn't cold, but it isn't exactly welcoming either.

"Katniss, I'm sorry. You had every right to volunteer, and even if I don't want you to, I can't control you."

I am so surprised by his words that I do turn around. His face is sincere. "Seriously?" He nods. It takes me a moment to formulate an answer. "Thanks."

"You shouldn't be thanking me." He grabs my hand, and I lean into him. Slowly, we make our way back to my compartment.

"So," he says finally. "Who was the little boy?"

An involuntary smile comes up at the mention of him. "He was just a little kid who lost his mom."

"You were good with him," Gale repeats. I simply nod.

We spend a while in my compartment, but by ten o'clock we are both getting drowsy.

"Good night," I mumble sleepily, giving him a kiss. "I love you."

Gale laughs, a now-rare sound. "Night, Catnip. I love you too."

He tucks me into bed and gives me one last kiss before leaving the room. I stare at his retreating form until my eyelids slide shut.

Again, I sleep dreamlessly. When I wake in the morning, I am perfectly rested, too much so to try to sleep more despite it only being six AM. I head down to floor WW. I am bored and need something to distract me from my growling stomach.

The room is dark. A small computer screen is lit up in the corner. I head over, trying not to make a sound. A sleeping form lies in the corner on a cot. Trying not to wake Beetee, I examine the screen.

It features a photo of a diamond key. It takes me a moment to realize why it looks familiar. That diamond key... that was in my house. Intrigued, I zoom in on the photo.

Small words I don't remember being on the key seemed to be etched in the surface.

"Massa Morteum," I murmur aloud. The phrase is unfamiliar, the language new. I wonder if this was how our ancestors talked- the ones from the history books. I peer closer, trying to identify the swirling symbol to the right of the words.

It seems to be some sort of rune. Half of it is formed by a Ω, and the other half is indecipherable. Disappointed, I lean back.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrap around me, but it is not in a warm embrace. The person squeezes me roughly, and I gasp for air.

Who is this? What is happening to me? Cold skin brushes on my neck and I find my breath taken from me. Was this what happened to Haymitch?

"Ah, the Mockingjay," a man whispers in my ear. His voice is familiar, but I can't identify it. "I'll get a high reward for you in the Capitol. Yes, they'll pay me greatly for you. Who knows what they'll do to you. I don't really care, but I would love to hear you scream... Maybe I'll torture you a bit myself before I hand you in. You seem like you would be easy to break."

Desperately, I think of Gale and Prim. What if he knows about them? What if he has them too?

"Ah, yes, Gale. I know about your budding relationship. Shame we won't get to see it go farther. Won't get to see it flicker and fail..." He brushes a cold finger down my cheek, and I shiver. My fingers grope blindly on the table for the emergency button surely located there. How can Beetee sleep through all this?

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you see Gale before you die. You can see him once I've torture him, once he's a bloody heap, blaming you for all his problems. And what will happen to dear Prim once you are gone? Hmmm, oh well..."

I find the emergency button stationed on the desk. He seems to notice where my hand is.

"What is..." He seems confused, then a wave of realization hits him. "Stop!" I press hard down on the button, and sirens wail. A sharp pain hits me in the side. Dumbly, I look down to see a knife protruding from my abdomen.

"You'll regret this," the man hisses, turning so I can see his face. His green eyes glimmer. "I swear to god- you'll regret this." I see white spots dancing in front of my eyes. His face disappears, and right before I black out I see Gale.

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	9. Waking

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I slowly come to and find myself lying on what feels like linens. A sharp pain in my side makes me wince. Desperately, I try to open my eyes. My eyelids feel as though they are glued shut. I hear a voice and I relax.

"This is all my fault," Gale says. He sounds broken. "I- I should have protected her. She shouldn't be here."

It takes me a moment to realize 'she' is me. My first thoughts are screaming in protest at his words, but I can't even open my eyes, let alone talk.

"I can't believe- I should have known after what happened to Haymitch that someone was after her. They probably staged Haymitch's to look like a suicide when he was drunk. I just- I should have protected her."

Whoever he was talking to speaks up. "You had no way to know." I recognize the voice as Hazelle's

"How's Beetee?" Gale asks, changing the subject.

"He's not doing well. Whoever subdued him had to knock his pretty hard on the head." My finger twitches, and Gale notices. His grip on my hand tightens.

"Katniss?" he asks, hope in his voice.

"G-g-" I still can't form words, but the weight on the ends of my eyelids is slowly lifting.

"Katniss," he sighs, more with relief then anything.

"G-g-gale?" I croak. Finally, I find myself able to open my eyes. The world is blurry.

"I'm right here Katniss. You have nothing to worry about."

"What- what happened?" I ask. My memory is blank. The last thing I remember is going to sleep...

"You- you don't remember?"

I shake my head. When I start to feel dizzy I stop.

"Well..." He sounds unwilling to tell me.

"What is it Gale?" I ask, and my breath hitches when he stays quiet. "What happened? Prim- my mother- is everyone okay?"

"Of course, Katniss. It's just- they found you unconscious on level WW."

"What happened?" I repeat.

"Someone stabbed you," he whispers brokenly. As though his words trigger a memory, the pain in my side deepens. I gasp and my hand flies to my wound.

"Katniss? Katniss! Are you okay?"

I can't reply. The world is going fuzzy and white spots are dancing in front of my eyes. "Nurse! Nurse!" Gale calls frantically, and a beeping sound reaches my ears.

"G-g-" the power of speech is once again taken from me.

He leans over me, tears in his eyes. "I'll be right here, Katniss. I won't leave you again- ever. I promise."

Once again, the last thing I see is Gale.

This time when I sleep, I dream. I find myself walking downstairs towards level WW. I go in the room, and see a single lit computer screen, and a slumped form on the bed. I realize I must be reenacting what happened when I got stabbed.

I wake when the knife enters my side.

"Gale," I say breathlessly the moment I wake, not waiting to check and make sure he's there.

"Katniss?" he asks immediately, leaning forward. The room is empty aside from the two of us.

"I-I remember what happened!" My vision is filled with the image of those green eyes- the evil glint in them. They're not warm and friendly, like Annie's. I shake my head in an attempt to dispel the illusion.

"What? Who did this to you?" he asks immediately.

"I'm not quite sure. They had green eyes; maybe it was someone from Four... but the voice sounded familiar."

The look on his face becomes cold. "Finnick?"

I shake my head. "No," I say quickly. "It definitely wasn't him."

"Katniss- don't try to protect him. I know you're friends- or you thought you were- but he can't get away with this."

"Gale! Listen to me!" He turns to face me and his expression softens. "He didn't do it."

He sighs. "I'm sorry Katniss. I just- I need to find who did this to you."

I lay a hand on his arm, and don't say anything. He understands, and pulls himself together. "I meant what I said."

"Which part?" I ask.

"I won't ever leave you. I'll make sure you don't get hurt again."

I suppose this should comfort me. For some reason it makes me angry. "I'm not a child, Gale. I don't need to be babied," I snap.

"I know, but I don't want you to get hurt again. Ever."

This make me even more furious. "I can take care of myself, Gale!"

"Clearly not!"

I narrow my eyes threateningly. "Maybe some girls would be thrilled to have their boyfriend standing at their back, watching their every move to 'protect them'. I'm not. I've been through much worse then you, Gale, and I survived it. I survived this too. You standing behind me will just make me want to get away- I'd sneak off where I could be alone, and that would be more dangerous then being a room packed with people without you." I say the last words harshly, ignoring his flinch. "In any case, I'm still going to war in a few days. You won't be able to stop me."

"No," he says, a triumphant look coming across his face. "But Coin will. She's deemed you 'unfit for duty.' They stamped it across your file."

I am even angrier then before, more so at Coin then Gale. But the smug little smile dancing across his lips makes me want to punch him too.

"Get out." I didn't mean for the words to sound so harsh, and the look of despair on his face makes me want to backpedal. I hold my ground, and try to keep the cold expression present on my face. "If I'm so little to you- someone you need to protect then you wouldn't want to be with me. If I'm just a weak little nobody, why would you? Leave."

Without protesting, he gets up and walks out of the room.

Without him to distract me, my thoughts turn to the key featured on the computer screen. Was that what this was about? A key? What on earth could that possibly lead to that is so important you could kill for it?

A knock on the door disrupts my thoughts. A nurse enters the room, carrying a clipboard. I catch sight of the soldiers outside the door. Great. So Coin posted guards. Does everyone think I'm that weak?

" Katniss, you have a visitor." She steps aside.

"Hello, Katniss," the man says

The voice- I know that voice far too well. I am frozen in shock, then I am suddenly thrown back into a flashback.

Green eyes stare at me from the darkness. Different times, different moments in my life when those same green eyes stared at me. I jerk back to the present.

The nurse stands in the exact same place, staring at me as though nothing had happened. So does Carl.

"He-" Shakily I point my finger at my uncle. "He is the one who attacked me."

Immediately the soldiers spring into action. They snatch him up by his arms, and prepare to drag him from the room. He doesn't even try to struggle, like he knows even if he defends himself I'll have evidence to prove him wrong. A snarl curls his lips.

"What do you know?" he comments snidely. His voice- I'll never forget that voice. "I thought you said you forgot everything."

Despite his words, the soldiers keep their grip on him. Still, I recognize the flicker of doubt in their eyes. They hide it well, and a moment later it's gone.

They drag Carl out of the room. I gulp. How could this have happened? Why would he do this to me? What does the key lead to?

I wish I hadn't snapped at Gale. Then he'd be here now. Despite my words, I need assurance someone is watching me while I sleep. After a betrayal from someone I knew- I can't trust anyone.

I don't sleep that night. I lay in bed, eyes wide open, staring intently at the door. By the morning I am exhausted and have to fight to keep my eyes open. I start to consider calling Gale in the hopes he'll come back.

I don't have to. The next morning, he comes in by himself.

"Katniss," he says, obviously surprised I am awake.

"Gale," I reply, trying to keep my voice flat, trying to maintain an angered air.

"If you want- I can leave," he says, turning to leave the room.

"No!" I say quickly. "Don't leave me."

He comes over to me, sitting on the chair beside my bedside. He runs his hand over my cheek and I close my eyes.

"Did you sleep at all?" he asks, running his thumb over the circles under my eyes.

"I- I couldn't. I was too afraid," I murmur.

"Of what?"

"I- I was afraid someone else would betray me."

"Someone else? Who betrayed you the first time?"

"Ca-Carl is the man who stabbed me," I mutter, starting to drift off to sleep. Gale's hand on my cheek feels so soft, and I didn't sleep at all...

"Carl?" Gale asks in disbelief. I fight to stay awake long enough to explain.

"It-he-I- so tired," I say, my eyes sliding shut.

"Sleep, Katniss. I promise I'll be here when you wake." I think he tries to tell me something else, but I'm already asleep.

When I wake, I get the feeling I've been sleeping a very long time. I feel weight across my chest and am momentarily panicked, until I feel the hand entwined with mine. If Gale is here, nothing can be wrong. Right?

I blearily open my eyes and find Gale laying across me. He looks like he fell asleep while he was sitting with me. I run my fingers lightly across his face. He twitches, but doesn't wake.

He has purple circles under his eyes, and his face looks thin. He doesn't seem to have been eating or sleeping.

I feel extremely self-centered. I've been acting like it's all about me, like I've been through hell, ignoring Gale. And all he's been trying to do is help me.

He shifts in his sleep and murmurs something. "Katniss. Katniss." He is saying my name in his sleep. I wonder if I am present in his dreams. I smooth his hair back and watch him sleep.

A while later there is a knock and a woman walks in. She carries a tray holding bread and broth. She nods at me and sets it on the bedside table, not even glancing at Gale. Then she walks out.

The slamming of the shutting door wakes Gale. He sits up and rubs his eyes. "Katniss?" He seems to realize where he is.

"Did I fall asleep?" he asks sheepishly.

I nod. "Don't worry about it. When did you last sleep?"

"I don't know- a couple days ago, maybe? I'm usually here or at training. Even when I get free time... I don't want to sleep."

I sigh. "Gale, you're hurting yourself. Here- eat something."

He backs away from my hand and the bread it holds. "That's your food Katniss. I'll get something later."

"When was the last time you ate, Gale?" My question takes him off guard.

"I don't know," he mumbles, avoiding my question.

"Gale."

"A day, maybe two?"

"You can't live like this, Gale. There is food being offered- why wouldn't you take it? You would have in Twelve when your family's lives depended on it. Now yours does. Eat, Gale."

He reluctantly takes the crust from me and nibbles it. Then he takes a bigger bite, and soon it's gone.

I offer him the tray. There seems to be two meals on the tray, one for me, and another, heavier meal for Gale. I hand him the mashed parsnips and chicken soup, ignoring his protests.

"So," I say, trying to make conversation. "When do we leave for Two?"

"You're not going," Gale says flatly.

"I have to! It's an attempt to win allegiance for our cause! Besides, I'm not actually doing anything. It's just for the cameras."

"Coin already deemed you inactive. You were dying, Catnip."

"You know just as well as I do she can easily change that."

He sighs, like he doesn't want to fight me. "We can talk to her later, Catnip," he says. "For now, go back to sleep."

I do just that, watching him as I go to sleep, and wondering why he looks so guilty.

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	10. Johanna

**A/N: Enjoy :)**

When I wake I find the IV missing, along with the bands restraining me.

Gale is also absent.

I sigh, sitting up. I notice a note on the nearby bedside table. Intrigued, I lean closer.

The moment I see Gale's handwriting I freeze. I am sure my heart speeds up as my breathing accelerates.

Catnip,

Just that one word makes me stop short. It's written carefully, like he took his time planning this note. I take a deep breath and continue.

I'm very sorry. I feel like I should tell you that before anything else. I don't want to leave you here, but I made sure to organize it so there was always someone with you or outside your door. Someone you trust. That way you don't have to worry.

The mission to the Capitol starts today. I know you wanted to go- I also know I can't let you come. There's too much of a chance you'll get hurt.

I know you're probably cursing me right now. Saying I have no right to try to protect you. But really, I do. As the person in this world who loves you the most, I have every right to try to protect you.

I'm going away for a while. I don't know quite how long. I do know, though, that I'll come back to you. I promise you, Catnip, I will see you again before I die.

I love you. No matter what happens, no matter how much you hate me, you have to know that. Always remember that.

Love,

Gale

Despite his words, I'm not furious at him. I know I will be later. Right now, I'm more worried then mad.

He just went out to the Capitol alone. Well, he's with a few, inexperienced soldiers, but I don't count that.

What if something happens? What if- god forbid- he gets hurt? Or- I have to go after him.

I'm convinced the only way to save him is to go after him. The statement has a certain clarity to it, a certain rightness. I have to go after him.

Clearly if they have released me from my restraints I'm well enough to walk.

The moment I stand up the room spins. I fight to keep myself on my feet. Eventually, the room stills, although it still seems rather blurry. Maybe it's just my eyesight.

I take a tentative step forward and am relieved that the effect isn't as drastic as before. When I make it to the door I stop a moment.

I can't just walk out there. I have a slight limp, and either way people are going to notice the Mockingjay walking around. I remember Gale's words- I made sure to organize it so there was always someone with you or outside your door. I sigh. Sure, he meant well, but how the hell am I supposed to get to the Capitol with a guard constantly outside my door?

I peek outside the door. Effie stands there, staring out stoically. Well, stoically for Effie. So, basically with an inappropriately large smile on her face and a welcoming expression. I don't doubt if Carl came up and asked to be let in, she'd hold the door for him.

Not reassuring thoughts. I try to shake them from my mind by attempting to devise a way to escape from my room. A moment later I find my way out when Effie is called away from my door.

"Effie, Haymitch wants to see you!" someone calls, and without a second thought Effie whisks away.

Again, not really a reassuring thought. But good for me at the moment. The seond she is out of sight I step outside, hoping to get away before she notices I'm missing.

I almost make it out of the hospital before I am stopped. Sighing, I turn around, preparing a lie for the nurse or doctor that stopped me. Instead, I find another patient.

Johanna Mason is also another victor. "Hello," I say rather stiffly.

"Loosen up," she replies. "So.. where are you going?"

"It doesn't matter," I say, turning to leave the hospital. Her hand on my arm stops me.

"I know you're sneaking away. I also know you're not going to make it with that side injury," she says, gesturing to my abdomen.

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. "How did you know?"

She rolls her eyes. "Please. I could tell by the way you were walking."

"I-"

"I was supposed to go on that mission too. And then Coin discovered my morphling supply and not only confiscated that but banned me from the mission."

I raise my eyebrows. "What morphling supply?"

"I still have half of it. That doesn't really matter though. The point is, we could help each other."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Come on. I'm not doing this for you. But we could help each other. I could help you, well, make it to the Capitol. You could help me stay away from the morphling.

"You can't make it like that though. I guess I'll have to... yes, I think that's the only way... follow me."

Curious about her cryptic message, I follow her out the door, wondering if it is against my better judgement. We have to stop several times on the way to wherever she is leading me. It turns out to be a storage closet two levels down.

She opens the door to reveal a cupboard completely filled with liquor.

"Wha-what the hell is this?" I splutter indignantly. "How is liquor going to help me get to Gale?"

"It's not liquor," Johanna says, rolling her eyes. "It just looks like that."

She pops the top of one of the crystal bottles and instead of the scent of alcohol, the sharp smell of a hospital assaults me.

I start to cough. "Put- it- away!" I choke out. She sighs and caps the bottle.

"Here," she thrusts the bottle into my hands. Pulling a backpack out of seemingly nowhere, she fills it with as many bottles as it can hold. She hands it to me and fills one for herself.

As we leave the closet and make our way up to the Hangar, I start to wonder how we will manage to get out of here with our conspicuous backpacks and clear lack of any authorization.

Sure enough, right when we reach the door leading in, a soldier stops us. "Excuse me. You're not authorized to be here at this moment."

Johanna sighs. "Are we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way?"

He stand still. A moment later, he is on the ground, having been knocked out by Johanna, who was using some sort of club, which she seemed to have conjured out of thin air.

"Don't try anything," Johanna warns the other guard, brandishing her stick. He steps backwards, a momentary look of fear in his eyes. Smiling, Johanna led me into the room.

We walk into the middle of the Hangar, which is empty aside from the planes.

Johanna confidently leads the way to a smallish plane in the corner. She pops open the door and hops into the pilot's seat.

"Get in," she instructs me. Slightly bewildered, I follow her order and find myself a seat next to her.

She hands me a pair of headphones just as the emergency alarms begin blaring. She sighs. "I was hoping the guards would just give in... this complicates things."

With a roar, the plane's motor starts up. Slowly, the aircraft pulls from it's spot in the corner, making it's way towards the runway, taxiing. Red lights now accompany the ear-splitting noise, and the roof of the Hangar begins to close.

"Shit!" Johanna exclaims as the plane begins to speed up. The plane is going too slow; the Hangar doors are closing too fast. Finally we make it to the runway. After a brief pause, she accelerates, and a moment later we lift off.

The plane is shaky and we clearly weren't supposed to lift yet. The gap between the doors is barely wider then our planes wingspan when we make it through the gap. Johanna whoops as the plane clears the gap, but I just sigh, half relieved and half terrified.

The plane remains shaky throughout the flight. I don't know how long we're in the air.

I can't really figure out why I trusted Johanna. There was just something about her. She doesn't seem innocent, not in any way. But she also doesn't seem like the kind of person who, when she wants something, will sabotage someone helping her to get it. Or maybe she is and I'm too naive to see it.

Eventually I fall asleep, and am awoken by turbulence. Johanna curses as a red light begins to blink.

"What's wrong?"

"Gas level's low. We're gonna have to land soon."

"Where are we?" She checks the radar.

"District Two," she replies shortly. "I'm bringing it down before it can crash."

Slowly, the plane begins to descend from the sky. Shakily, we land on a narrow strip of land between the woods and a field.

I sigh with relief as the plane touches down. Johanna grabs the backpacks off the floor. "Get out now!" she yells at me. I barely have time to be confused before she catapults herself out of the plane. Following her lead, I jump out of the aircraft.

A moment later, she grabs my arm and pulls me into the nearby woods. A second later, there is a boom and the aircraft blows up.

She slumps to the ground, panting. I notice her hands are bleeding.

"Here," I say, checking my pockets for something to bandage her hands with. I find a scrap of cloth that I rip in half and use to bind her hands.

"Thanks," she says shortly, then slowly gets to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," I say, wondering what she is talking about.

She inspects me closely. "No side pain? Nothing?"

The moment she mentions my side, I feel a blinding pain there. "Not until you mentioned it," I grumble.

She pulls a bottle of morphling out of her bag. "Here." She hands it to me.

I raise my eyebrows. "Drink it?"

"I don't exactly have something to inject you with, do I?" Johanna says snakily. I roll my eyes and take a swig.

The effect is immediate. It's like fire was moving down my throat- then it's like ice. The moment it reaches my side, the pain dulls, then disappears.

I hand her the bottle and she shoves it into her pack. "We better get moving if we want to make it to the train station by dark," Johanna says, setting off at a brisk pace through the woods.

We stay near the edge, continuing through the forest. After an hour or two, my side begins to ache. Another hour of walking and the sharp pains begin again.

I grip my side and try to continue. After a few minutes, though, I know that won't be enough.

"Can we stop?" I grimace. In response she hands me the morphling.

We continue on for a while, and near sunset we arrive at the edge of the trees. My side has begun to hurt again, so to dull the pain I take another swig of morphling. The effect isn't as strong. I wonder if the power of the medicine will continue to decrease- is this how all the morphling addicts end up so weak and sickly?

Beyond the edge of the woods is the train station. It is filled with people, but I can't tell whether or not they are rebels. Johanna answers my silent question.

"I don't think they're rebels- they probably work for the Peacekeepers. The other side of the line is the rebels camp. To make it there we have to cut through the camp. It's too surrounded by guards to try to cut around."

"How the hell are we supposed to get through that?" I ask incredulously.

She shrugs. "Can't be too hard. Wait 'till midnight and most of 'em will be sleeping. It'll be easier then."

After only an hour on the border the sun begins to set. Slowly, the Capitol soldiers begin to settle down and go to sleep, leaving a few soldiers standing guard. Most of the lights go out, but they leave a few smaller fires burning. They don't even bother with the electric lights.

About an hour after the sky goes dark Johanna taps me on the shoulder. Time to move in, she mouthes to me.

She points to herself, and then to me, and gestures that I follow her throughout the train station.

She creeps out of the bushes silently, barely avoiding the notice of a passing guard. I tiptoe after her.

A crunch of twigs makes me stop in my tracks. I watch in horror as a guard leaps upon Johanna, bringing her down with one swift movement. A second later another man has his arms around my neck.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Wha- wha- Finnick?"

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	11. Somebody

**A/N: So sorry this took so long. I've had a fever of 104 for the past three days and haven't been able to bring myself to write this until now. Enjoy :)**

"Katniss?" The man releases me, surprised. I spin and see his face.

"Finnick! What on earth are you doing in the Peacekeeper's territory?" I whisper furiously.

He looks confused. "Peacekeeper's territory? The rebels have control of the train station."

The sound of a groan distracts me. I turn to see Johanna still struggling with the meaty man who tackled her.

"Oi! Kobe, get off her!" At his words, the man leaps up and off Johanna. She snarls and gets up, brushing the leaves and twigs off her.

"Thanks for that. Really appreciate it. What the hell Finnick? Why would you attack us?"

"I didn't know it was you!" he defends himself. "You did sneak in here like you were trying to attack us!"

"Well, that's your fault for not signifying that you're rebels- not Peacekeepers!"

"Last time I checked, we weren't wearing the uniform!" Finnick snapped, gesturing down to his ratty military clothes.

Johanna rolled her eyes, and I stepped in before the fight got worse.

"Shut up! No one was injured, and we're all fine!" I turn to Finnick. "Where's Gale?"

"He- well, he- he went to the Capitol yesterday. The sent him out the moment we got here with a few other people."

"Who?" I demand immediately, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"You don't know most of them. A few Thirteen soldiers, a couple Twelve. And..."

"Tell me." Finnick's eyes stray to Johanna and I wonder what the man has to do with her.

"Blight."

Although the name has no meaning to me, clearly Johanna knows who he is, because the moment he says the name she gasps. "He's not well enough to go!"

"Who is-" Johanna doesn't allow me to finish my question.

"Blight is a victor from my District. He was my mentor. Either way, I thought he didn't get medical clearance! What about his leg?"

"Coin cleared him. Apparently she wants as many victors as possible out in the field. You should know that, considering she sent you."

"Umm..." I begin awkwardly, but Johanna stops me.

"Yeah, we know. Is anyone else left from your squad- aside from Kobe?"

Finnick shakes his head. "Apparently Coin told them to ditch me here where I would be 'safe'." He snorts. "Like you can ever really be safe in war. They left Kobe with me for protection, in case the Peacekeepers decide on a random attack."

"How did they get to the Capitol?" Johanna asks.

"They took a train to the edge of One, and then they're going to take a pod into the Capitol. When they reach downtown they're going to walk."

"A pod?" I questioned, my thoughts turning to my shared room in Thirteen.

"Small structures like cars. Thirteen came up with them. They each hold two people, and are, of course, bullet-proof and all-terrain. They have a few in One that they use mainly for underground missions."

Johanna looks like she wants to ask something but I beat her to the punch. "When does the next train to One leave?"

"The train leaves in ten minutes," Finnick tells us. He gestures behind him and for the first time I notice it. I'm surprised I didn't see it before; we're right on the fringes of the station, loosely guarded by soldiers but still not more then twenty yards from the train. We stare at the long black train, steam erupting from the engine, and the soldiers running everywhere.

"How the hell are we supposed to get on this thing?" I ask, voicing the question I am sure they are both thinking.

Johanna rolls her eyes. "Easy. All we have to do is get on and claim we're last minutes soldiers when the conductor comes our way."

"Is that really going to work?" I ask skeptically.

"Sure," Johanna says, but I notice she doesn't elaborate on the plan.

A high-pitched whistle interrupts us. The last soldiers quickly jump onto the train, and the dark smoke begins to pour from the front of the train.

"Hurry!" Finnick yells, taking off into the thick mist. I push after him, trying to follow his path through the station.

We emerge from the cloud right next to the caboose, which is completely empty. Finnick jumps up and pulls Johanna up a moment later, leaving me running next to it.

"Get on!" he yells above the clamor of the train. I run faster and use my momentum to jump onto the train right before we reach the trees.

Panting, I stare back at the station. "I can't believe that worked."

"Told you so," Johanna smirked confidently.

I ignore her and turn to Finnick. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Hadn't thought that far ahead."

We stay on the back of the train car, and surprisingly no one finds us. Only after we have made it midway through One does someone come out- and he barely takes notice of us, merely checking something then returning to the train cars. His nonchalance about having us on board made me think there aren't any tickets. I don't have time to test my theory, for only moments after the man goes back inside the train begins to decrease speed.

I don't even bother to ask what we do once we get off the train, sure it will have something to do with stealing a pod and escaping with it.

Instead, when the train stops Finnick leads us to an officer. "We request authorization to see the list of booked soldiers."

"Names?"

"Finnick Odair."

"Authorization declined."

"Johanna Mason."

"Authorization declined."

They gesture for me to say my name. " Katniss Everdeen."

"Authorization granted," the officer says, and moves the tablet she was looking at so I can see it.

I scan the alphabetized list quickly, and feel the sinking feeling in my gut when I don't find Gale's name.

"Who else is in your crew?" I hear Johanna ask Finnick behind me. He immediately starts to rattle off names.

"Hank, Brutus, Evan, Ethan, Cane, Niles, Leona, and Stuart."

I scan the list quickly for the names. "Niles Rolover?"

"That's him."

"Evan and Ethan Stevens, and Stuart Tall?"

He nods again.

"Officer Brutus?"

"Yeah. Anyone else?"

I double check the list, then shake my head.

"We should probably start looking for them. Wherever they are, Gale is too."

We add our names to the list of soldiers and make our way towards the main building. It's filled with cots and places to receive medical attention. Outside there is another building where pods are stored.

Finnick leads us inside and to a small room housing three cots. Dumping his jacket on one of the beds, he stares out the window and sighs, muttering to himself.

Johanna rolls her eyes and turns to me. "Dinner?"

We eat quickly, and go around to all the individual rooms, asking for Niles, the Stevens twins, and Stuart. No one seems to know any of them. Eventually we give up, opting it give it another shot later in the day.

When we return to the room we find Finnick in almost the same exact position we left him in; staring out the window at the reflective surface of the nearby lake.

"I miss her," he says finally. Johanna rolls her eyes.

"I know what you mean," I reply.

Johanna snorts, and I turn to face her. "What are you, a Capitolist? Love doesn't exist- and even if it did, it would be stupid. Look what's it's reduced you two to- a pile of blubber. Why do you even try? You're risking your life for him, and he doesn't even know what's going on. He's off doing some mission, and you're back here. Why even try?"

I am so stunned by her outburst I don't have an answer. Does she even have anyone she loves?At all? I ask myself. After a moment, Finnick seems to realize I won't answer so he answers for me.

"Because when you love someone, you'll do anything for them. If he knew she was looking, she wouldn't have to. He'd already be on his way back. When you love someone, you just have to trust them, and know that they care about you just as much as you care about them."

Johanna smirks at me, then turns her head to Finnick. "You can't. You can't ever truly trust someone. If the Games taught me anything, it taught me that." She storms out of the room, the door banging shut angrily behind her.

Finnick sighs. "She doesn't know what she's saying. Before the Games, she lost everyone. I guess that the lessons they try to teach- we are weak and they are strong- just wore off on her a little too much."

I can't help but stare at the now-shut door. She lost everyone? No wonder she's so hostile. If I lost Prim... I shudder at the thought.

A light knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. I turn to see a burly man standing at the door, a hesitant expression looking out of place on his face. Brown hair falls in his eyes, and he doesn't seem to be more then twenty years old. A wide smile breaks out of Finnick's face when he sees him, and he rushes forward.

"Niles!" he roars, pounding the man on the back. The gesture is quickly returned. "How are you?"

"Better now. There was a slight mishap with some Peacekeepers, and I hurt my ankle. Never mind that, though! What are you doing here?" Now that the excited tone has left his voice, he sounds rather strict, and slightly angry.

"Katniss, here," he says, gesturing in my direction, "has set out on a quest to find Gale. I made it my duty to help her. After all, a dead Mockingjay wouldn't do anything for anyone, would it?"

Niles peers closely at me. "Katniss. Gale has mentioned you of course- several times." He glances at Finnick and then back at me. "We were also under orders to keep you as far away from the Capitol as possible."

Finnick scoffs. "Since when were you one to follow orders?"

"These were issued directly from Coin's mouth herself."

"How does that change it?"

"Well, it doesn't but- if we get caught, we'll get booted out of the army altogether."

"Better not get caught then, eh?" Finnick says, grinning.

Niles sighs, rolling his eyes in a playful way. "You are going to get me fired."

"Is that a yes?"

* * *

><p>"Me, the twins, and the Officer had to stay back. I got a knee injury, Stuart got a concussion, and the officer was actually knocked out for two days, so the twins were assigned to watch us. Here we are now- their room." Niles leads us down a narrow hallway, coming to a stop directly in front of a large metal door.<p>

He knocks lightly on the door to Evan and Ethan Stevens' room, then enters without waiting for an answer.

"Hey guys. I brought a few visitors," I hear Niles say before we enter the room. Exclamations of surprise- was that a gasp?- immediately sound in the small room, and a tall man in the corner hurries to shush them. They immediately comply.

The man looks to be about 6'5, and is wearing his uniform despite just having gotten out of a hospital bed. A buzz cut reveals his forehead is covered in stars, and he stares at me with a intensity that is almost angry. I flinch, but don't look away until he turns his gaze to Finnick.

To my surprise, his face brightens. "Odair! What are you doing here?"

He lies quickly and with ease. "Oh, I have a friend in the other wing- Johanna Mason. She was injured, and this was the closest medical hospital in proximity."

"How was she injured?"

"A Peacekeeper- she met a lone one in the woods, and just before she managed to knock him out he injured her. She managed to make it to our train station before passing out, so the details are rather vague. We did, however, find the body- he died from exposure."

The man nods briskly. By now, I have deduced he is the Captain. "What's this one doing with you?"

"She came to the train station as part of a sort of encouragement to the rebels; she got there too late- the battle had already been won."

The Captain nods gruffly at him. "Good job, Odair. I need some rest."

It is a clear dismissal. Finnick nodded, exiting the room with me on his heels.

"Who was that?" I ask when we get outside.

"That was Captain Brutus. I think you've met his younger sister Anetha."

**A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	12. Morphling

**A/N: Enjoy :)**

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><p>I sigh, leaning back in the hard metal benches. Soldiers surrounding me gulp down food ravenously, but I have no appetite. I feel nauseous, and even the thought of having a slice of bread makes me want to vomit.<p>

"Hey, Katniss," Finnick says, sliding into the seat next to me. "Katniss? Are you okay?"

I force myself to nod, but regret the movement immediately. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

"No, you aren't." He puts his hand to my forehead. The gesture is so intimate and strange that I pull back. "You've got a fever."

"You can't tell that!" I protest.

"Ah, but I can, 'cause I'm the Magic Medicine Man!"

I roll my eyes. "Finnick, we don't have time for this. We have to go catch up with the rest of the group."

He nods. "You're right. But we aren't going to do it while you're sick."

Despite my protests, after breakfast he leads me down the hallway and to the doctor. He checks my temperature, frowning when he sees the number. "'Yer right. She's got 'erself a fever of hundred 'n three. Do ye have any other signs of a cold?"

I shake my head quickly, ignoring the nausea at the sudden movement. "I don't even feel warm," I lie.

Finnick sighs, turning to the doctor. "She's not telling the truth. She's warm and is feeling nauseous."

The doctor looks at a sheet of paper. "Well, there aren't any other soldiers getting sick 'ere. So either you picked it up from somewhere else or- have you been taking morphling lately?"

My thoughts flash to Johanna, even as I try to think back to the last time I had taken it. When was it? On the plane? No, it had to be more recently then that. My side hadn't hurt yet... but morphling only lasted a few hours. How could that be possible... unless Johanna was somehow getting it to me. Avoiding Finnick's eyes, I slowly nod my head.

"Ah, that's it." The doctor sets down the sheet of paper. "You must've just taken too much of it. What have you been taking it for?"

"I got stabbed in the side," I mutter, my hand instinctively moving towards my wound. He gestures towards my shirt and I nod, allowing him to pull it up to my ribs.

"That needs to be rewrapped. And you're going to need something to ward off an infection." He sets to work wrapping up my side and gives me large dosages of medicine to swallow.

"Either way, cut the morphling intake in half. Now that you're wound has started to heal,you need less. Morohling taken without a physical wound can make someone sick, so watch out."

A soldier appears at the door. "Doc? I think-" he coughs violently. "I think I've got something."

"Come in," the doctor sighs, and I hurry out into the hallway to get out of his way.

Finnick raises his eyebrows at me, waiting until the door shuts to speak. "Since when have you been taking morphling?"

I sigh, already headed down the hall towards our room. "Since I hurt my side."

"I've never seen you take it," Finnick argues. I ignore him, picking up my pace.

I burst into our room, not bothering to actually check and see if someone is in there. I'm not disappointed- Johanna sits on her cot, fingering one of the liquor bottles. She smirks when she sees me, then takes a swig out of the bottle.

"How have you been giving me morphling?"

The smirk gets bigger. "Oh, what, you didn't notice? I was putting it into your food."

"How did you get it to me today, then?"

"I didn't. Your side should start hurting in a little while. Really, you should get that checked by the doctor."

I glare at her, not amused. "I did. You know what he said? I've been taking too much. I'm supposed to cut it in half."

Johanna rolls her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. You'll be fine." She takes another swig out of the bottle, puckering her lips slightly as it leaves her mouth. "I drink this solid, don't I?"

A thought occurs to me. "Johanna," I say slowly. "How much of that have you had?"

She shrugs. "A few bottles, give or take a bit."

I gape at her. "And- and you aren't feeling bad at all?"

She shrugs then takes another sip. "I guess after a while it starts to lose it's effect." She takes another swallow, coughing slightly, then turns her attention to Finnick. "So, Odair... what's the plan?"

"We're gonna give the morphling you've been hoarding to the hospital, then we're gonna go find Gale."

She snorts. "That's a terrible plan. Do you even know where he is at all?"

"Nope. But hopefully we will soon." As he speaks he moves around the room, touching random things, picking them up. Only after he has returned to the doorway do I realize what they are.

"You- she had that much morphling?"

In his hands he holds several empty liquor bottles as well as several full ones. Johanna scowls, reaching forward to snatch them from his grasp, but he simply holds them above his head.

"You're not getting these. We need to find Gale and the rest of the platoon, and the only way we're going to do that is if you focus."

She rolls her eyes. "Honestly, it doesn't seem like we're eve going to find him. You have no idea where he is, you have no idea where we're going to go, you have no idea how we're getting there- hell, you don't even know if they're going with anyone!"

He smirks at her. "Actually, I do. I talked to Captain Brutus. Apparently, he sent the platoon out towards the city center. Snow is hiding out in his mansion, and although the city is heavily guarded- perhaps more then anywhere else in Panem- they really don't have a choice. The Captain ran me through the whole thing. They're heading underground towards the center of the city, disabling the traps so that, in case it's necessary, troops can follow them. Once they disable the traps their plan is vague. Either the sharpshooter Leona will kill him or they'll try to break into his house. It depends on what happens on the way in."

"And what do you intend to do about that?"

"Well, clearly, since they'll be disabling traps on their way into the city and they will have to wait for the clear after each they'll take a lot longer then we would- say, if you were walking through safe zones underground cleared for troops. We can follow their path into the city, not having to worry about traps, and then catch up to them- wherever they might be."

Johanna shrugged, getting up from the cot. "Sounds like a decent plan to me." She turns to Finnick. "When are we leaving?"

An hour later we're getting into a pod, preparing to go to the Capitol. Evan, Ethan, Niles, Stuart, and Captain Brutus are all coming with us- in short, everyone who was supposed to go on the mission but didn't.

I share a pod with Johanna and Finnick, and although these are meant for four soldiers, it's cramped. Finnick crushes me and Johanna together in the back next to the medical supplies and weapons and takes the entire front and control panel. As soon as the top comes down on the vehicle everything gets dark. The bulletproof glass seems to keep the sun out- or rather disguising us. As the pod precedes down the side of the hill and into a nicely concealed entrance I am sure the black body of the vehicle blends with the shadows.

"Organize those," Finnick calls back as he carefully leads the pod into the tunnel. "We need the guns all fully loaded. Katniss, I think there's a bow and some arrows back there for you. Sorry, Johanna, don't bother looking for an ax- all I could score you was some knives."

Johanna rolls her eyes, pulling two blades from the mishmash of supplies. "These?" The knives are covered in dried blood, two filthy handprints formed on the hilt from the substance. Grimacing, Johanna takes a rag from the floor and rubs the knives carefully, taking a hilt and sticking them in it when she finished. She starts pulling bullets out and loading them into guns.

I have no idea where she getting the bullets nor how to load a gun so instead I start looking through the supplies for the bow Finnick mentioned.

At the bottom of the stack I find it. Complete with my sheath, it's the bow Beetee made me with the GPS navigator. I take it out, examining it. It seems to be in perfect condition, but I don't have time to wonder how Finnick got it here before he interrupts my thoughts.

"Johanna, do you have those ready?"

I look up, surprised to see Johanna already has the guns loaded and we are somehow already deep into the tunnels. The first pod that contains the twins and the Captain rounds a corner above us. The second, with Stuart and Niles, follows soon after. Carefully and deliberately Finnick slows the speed of the vehicle as we approach the dark hole that leads to the deep tunnels.

The moment we pass through a wave of red light passes over me. Despite the pod's protection against light this seems to have penetrated the vehicle. I don't like it.

The path we seem to be following gets narrower and narrower and slowly it begins to tilt downwards. My ears pop several times. Soon the path is almost vertical. Just when I think we are going to have to go back up the road evens out and the red lights fade, leaving us in blackness.

Despite the lack of light Finnick guides the pod after the others, careful for traps. However, it seems that the other half of their platoon did their jobs, because no trap comes. As the pod rolls through the area, faintly outside the window I can see gunpowder and debris scattered on the ground. I stop looking.

I'm not sure how much later it is that the vehicle comes to a stop. I'm not too worried until Finnick grabs one of the guns Johanna loaded.

"Air pollution level?" Finnick asks her, trying to look out of the tinted glass to figure out where the other two pods went.

Johanna glances down at something and I realize there is a control panel in the back that is similar to Finnick's. "Low. As low as it can be at this depth."

"I'm getting out. If something happens, Johanna, you take control of the pod."

"What do you think is going to happen?" I ask, ignoring the look Johanna shoots me.

"There could be a bomb or a trap that they missed." Finnick prepares to shove the door open. "Katniss- if I get hurt...tell Annie that I'm sorry."

I find myself nodding, and he grips the gun tightly.

Then the bomb explodes.

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><p><strong>AN: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	13. Water

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated! I am just jam packed with getting ready for a five day school trip to the other side of the country I'm going on- so bear with me! I'll be gone for the next five days, so this is the last update for a while. Sorry! Enjoy!

The pod shakes with the force of the blast, and I automatically crumple backwards into my seat. It takes me a moment to process what has happened. And then I think about Finnick.

I lean forward immediately, ignoring the pain in my side at the sudden movement. Finnick lays sprawled across the front seat, and that's when I notice that the door is still mostly shut- the door must have swung back with the force of the explosion and pushed him back in the pod. Johanna either doesn't notice or doesn't care, climbing quickly over the seat and towards Finnick. Her first move is to check his heart rate, which she obviously decides is abnormal because she moves to check his breathing.

"Is he okay?"

She doesn't look up. "His heart rate is way too fast and he isn't breathing regularly."

Every time my mother has a patient I run to the woods, and despite knowing I am in District One I have to resist the overwhelming urge to get out of the car. I force myself to sit still. "Part of that could be shock."

She nods, not looking up from what she's doing. Unbuttoning Finnick's shirt, she yanks it off him. I have no idea what she's doing. Instead of watching pointlessly I try to get a view out of the pod to see where the others are. I make to open the door when Johanna's hand stops me.

"Don't get out yet. We have no idea what it's like out there."

"But we have no way to control the pod," I protest, but she ignores me. I notice the gun, previously clenched tightly in Finnick's hands, now fallen on the floor. I lean down to pick it up and am immediately struck by it's weight. Grunting, I heft it over the seat and check it for any signs of his injury. Blood dots the barrel.

"Johanna!" I exclaim immediately, making her look up.

"What?" she asks in an annoyed tone. "I'm trying to figure out what's wrong."

"Will you just pay attention!" Her head whips up, a dangerous light in her eyes, before she sees the gun I hold.

"What the hell is that?"

"Finnick was holding it. It has blood on it."

A look of understanding comes upon her face and she immediately checks his head. Directly on the back of his skull is an egg-sized lump. She turns him on his side, then checks his heart rate again. "Back down to normal," she says. "This must be the only place he got bumped. Let me see that."

I hand her the gun and her arm almost crumples under the weight. "What the hell is this?" I shrug as she examines it. "No gun should be this heavy." She pops open the barrel.

Thick black powder pours onto the ground. The second it touches the metal it begins to corrode, bubbles erupting on the floor as the acidic powder eats away at it. Johanna yelps, trying to brush some of it off her hand. The movement displaces some of the powder, but it doesn't do anything until it touches metal. One fleck of it seems to have reached the ceiling; when the metal melts it drips down onto Johanna's foot. The melted metal seems to have the same effect of the powder, only this can effect organic materials as well. The entire floor is now gone.

"What do we do?" I ask Johanna.

"Get the hell out!" she yells back, shoving the door open and grabbing at Finnick. "Help me get him out!"

I take his feet; she takes his head. We drag him from the pod. Johanna dives back in and I wonder what she is doing until she returns with a few guns and my bow and arrows.

I don't know what I am expecting when I get out. Raging red fires, two exploded pods. Instead, amber seems to cover the ground. It expands, something you can tell has been happening for a whilem when suddenly it stops, covering the ground in a tower of amber. I turn to see our pod melt into a puddle of black which starts to eat away at the amber. I move away from it anxiously, dragging Finnick's feet with me.

"Do you think anyone got out?"

My words are answered, not by Johanna, but by a male voice. "Some of us."

I jerk around, my fingers instinctively reaching behind me for my bow, as though it is still there. Captain Brutus stares at me, Evan on one side and Stuart on the other.

"Did they-"

Johanna grabs my arm, her fingernails digging in painfully- her signal for me to stop talking. Evan's eyes glisten with unshed tears, but I don't comment. Captain Brutus nods once, then his eyes move down to Finnick. "What's wrong with him?"

"The explosion knocks us backwards, and he was hit by a heavy gun."

"Where's your pod?"

"Black powder discovered inside a heavy gun spread all over the pod and melted it." Johanna has a different attitude around him, more cautious. I don't have time to dwell on it.

"What are we going to do for the rest of the day, sir? And transportation?"

Johanna's questions seem to irk the Captain. "We are going to proceed to a part of the tunnel that's not rigged with traps and then we're going to see if there are more. If there are..." he left it open.

Johanna nods, seeming to notice that he isn't in the mood for questions. She still clutches the guns tightly in her hands and I move over with my hand outstretched. She raises her eyebrows. "My bow?"

She hands it over, along with the sheath of arrows which I automatically sling over my shoulder.

"Give me a gun."

I have to look around to see who the voice is coming from. I finally figure out it's coming from the ground, where Finnick still lays.

"Finnick!" His eyes have opened, and he seems confused by his surroundings.

"Give me a gun. Why are you all blurry?"

Despite his obvious confusion, Johanna hands him one. "Here. Don't shoot us."

He nods, then looks confused again. "Why am I lying down?" He pushes himself up so he's sitting in an upright position. He squeezes his eyes tightly shut before reopening them, then repeats the process. "You're still all blurry."

"Captain!"

He turns, his eyes narrowing slightly when he realizes it was Johanna that called his name. "What?"

"Soldier Odair is unable to walk to the next area."

I don't know what she's doing; with her luck, all she'll do is convince the Captain to ditch Finnick. He sighs, then gestures forward. Stuart moves up and makes to lift him. "We need everyone we can get," he explains himself shortly.

We move the way the pods were heading, and I realize the amber is a ten foot tall mound that's the result of a missed trap.

"Don't know how they missed it," Evan grumbled. "Should have been obvious. It stretched across the whole friggin' tunnel."

I'm worried. What if something happened? What if the reason they missed that was because they hadn't gotten to it yet?

The edge of the amber is a gradual hill downwards, but it still takes less then a minute to walk down it, even with Finnick being carried by Stuart and Evan.

We set up camp at the edge of the amber, to be sure no more traps will stop us. Despite their entire pod having been decimated, Captain Brutus somehow has several knives and a few canteens of water. We drink sparingly, but the water still runs out before anyone has quenched their thirst. Each hour someone is woken to watch guard. I have the graveyard shift. Johanna wakes me at midnight, looking very ready to go back to sleep.

The tunnels are silent aside from the slight breathing of the group and and running of a stream.

It takes me a second, in my sleepy state, to realize what this means. A stream. A source of running water. My parched throat made me not want to sit anymore- I felt the overwhelming urge to get up and go find the water.

My hazy, half-asleep mind gave in and I found myself getting up from my guard position. Without waking anyone, I crept away from camp, remembering to sling my bow over my shoulder as I left.

I try to follow the sound of the river, but right when I think I've found it the tunnel curves. I debate whether or not to follow it; the last time the tunnel curved there was a bomb. But Gale was supposed to have come through here... My dry tongue makes me move forward. I make it around the corner without incident, but above me, the tunnel is completely blocked. A towering mass of water blocks the tunnel.

I am about to run when I realize, although this is making the noise I heard, it doesn't appear to be ready to fall. It's as though an invisible wall is holding it back- no doubt it's the result of one of the traps Gale and his group sprung. The question is- is it possible to pass through? Is there something on the other side, or will it not even let you through?

A small pebble by my feet catches my attention. I pick it up and toss it towards the water.

Nothing. No explosion, no wall of water pouring at me. It disappears, surely to reappear on the other side. Or did it bounce off and I just missed it?

I hurry back to the camp, five minutes past the end of my shift. I shake Stuart awake, resolving myself to tell Captain Brutus about it when we wake up.

I am the last to wake in the morning besides Finnick, him being able to sleep as we walk. Stuart and Evan are having trouble dragging him, and at some point Johanna had found some sticks- from where I have no idea- and is fashioning a stretcher out of them and a ratty blanket the Captain has.

I approach him cautiously. "Sir?"

"Yes, Soldier Everdeen?"

It's not the first time someone has labeled me with that title, but this seems different somehow. I brush it off. "I was walking last night. I thought I heard an intruder," I fib. "I followed the tunnel and found a wall of water blocking our path. I believe the intruder escaped through it, but he might have been hiding as well."

The Captain nods, and briefly I feel bad for lying before I remember that this could be my only way to find Gale. Before I remember that I need to find Gale.

The Captain tells everyone what I told him and we proceed cautiously around the bend. The water is in the exact same place it was yesterday.

"What we're going to try here is one person goes through with this," the Captain taps a walkie-talkie- another thing he has seemingly produced from nowhere- "and speaks to us from the other side once you get there. Who wants to go first?"

Before I can volunteer Evan steps forward. "I'll do it."

The Captain hands him the talkie. "I'll contact you so you can speak back from the other side."

Evan nods. Slowly he approaches the iron wall of water. Hesitantly, he sticks out his hand to touch it.

Seconds later he is pulling it back, shrieking. Water is glued to his fist, but then it moves up his arm- and when it leaves his hand, his hand is gone too.

I watch in horror as the water moves over his body at incredibly fast speeds, disintegrating him in seconds.

Moments after he touched the water, he is gone, not even leaving his body behind.

A/N: Review or PM me with comments :)


	14. Shortcut

**A/N: Hi! I be back! Oh my god I missed this. I think you'll enjoy this one- it's kinda a reward for waiting a week! Okay, so anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>Nothing remains of his body. Not a chunk of flesh, a piece of bone, even a spot of blood. Nothing.<p>

"Well, shit," Johanna says. "How the hell are we going to get around that?"

No one seems to have an answer.

"We can't go through it..."

"We could go over it!" Finnick exclaims from where he lays on the ground. I raise my eyebrows, but Johanna looks like she's giving it real thought.

"That's an idea," she mutters, and Stuart snorts. She glares at him, but he doesn't seem phased.

"What? How the hell are we supposed to 'go over' that thing?" he asks.

"What other options do we have right now?" Johanna snaps. "Honestly, we can't exactly trek all the way back out to One, and we can't go through the friggin' thing."

"What about under?" I suggest.

"See that- that actually might work," Stuart says. "The Avoxes that work in these tunnels have to have a way to get around. The only sensible solution is underground."

"So what, are we just going to wander aimlessly until we find one of these passageways?" Johanna retorts.

"Stuart is right," Captain Brutus says. Johanna closes her mouth, looking annoyed. "We don't have any other options here unless we all want to get disintegrated."

Johanna grumbles but doesn't complain when Captain Brutus turns us around. "What we need to find is an escape hatch. It's not going to be obvious, so you have to watch the ground. Everdeen, Mason, take the right. Stuart, you're on the left with me and Odair. You gotta help carry him."

Slowly we begin the process of backtracking. As we walk we prod the ground carefully before we take each step, our eyes glued to the walls, searching for something that could indicate an exit. Nothing. We make it back to the amber and no one has found any hint of an alternate exit.

We walk up onto the amber, still searching, because what else are we supposed to do? I barely look at the ground, searching the ceiling now. Maybe Johanna's idea was correct and that's the way to get out.

"Over here!" Stuart calls suddenly, and like moths to a lamp we are over in seconds. He is standing on the edge of a hole that tunneled deep into the center of the amber, then more. It seems to have eaten away at the tunnel floors, leaving a wide enough hole for two people to go down at once.

"What is that from?" Captain Brutus asks. It takes me a moment to recognize it.

"Oh- that's from the black powder that disintegrated our pod. It must have continued," I reply, staring down and trying to gauge how deep the shaft goes.

"Do you see that? The bottom is moving!" Finnick exclaims. He's laid across the ground, his head peeking over the edge. "It's like... it's like a snake."

I'm starting to question whether or not his head injury affected his sanity, but Johanna seems to notice something as well. "He's right. And this time I'm serious. It's like- it's like there's a stream of black water or something down there."

I squint and barely make out what she's talking about. Though I thought the ground was just black rock it appears to be moving slightly and it shimmers. Oil.

"Oil." Stuart voices my thoughts before I can.

"If there's oil it's probably a pipe. There's probably a way we can follow the pipes down there..." Johanna trailed off.

"Well, right now, it's the only option we have," Stuart points out and we quiet, considering this. Finally Captain Brutus nods.

"What we need to do is get a rope down there. Someone can hold it up here. Stuart, you go down first so we can all hold you, then Finnick, then Johanna, then Katniss, and I'll come last."

Johanna finds a scaly black rope curled at the bottom of the weapons bin, and we stretch that down the shaft. We create a line holding tightly to the rope, and Stuart grabs on the end. "Wish me luck," he says, then begins to hop down the shaft.

After five minutes of waiting we hear a thud and then- "I made it! There's a ledge down here to walk on- we were right!"

"Finnick is next."

We have to pull the bottom of the rope up and wrap it around Finnick's waist, then lower him down the hole. It requires monumental effort, and we almost slip twice, but finally he's down there and Stuart has untied him.

"Mason."

Johanna goes down much the same way Stuart did, only faster. And then it's my turn.

I take hold of the rope, grateful for the climbing of the trees. This should be easy.

But it isn't. The walls I'm supposed to be using for footholds are slippery and every time I move my foot it falls for a seconds before I can get control. My hands are clammy and my hold on the rope seems to be getting less tight, less secure. For one heart-stopping moment my feet fall off the wall completely and all that is holding me is my hands and suddenly they seem too weak. And then I think of Gale's face and how I have to see him again and I yank myself up so I can reposition my body.

I take longer then Stuart and much longer then Johanna, but Finnick took longer then me, which I take comfort in. I look up, curious to how the Captain plans on accomplishing this to find him out of sight.

"What do you think he's going to do?" I ask Johanna and she just shrugs.

"He'll figure out something."

Moments later the Captain has managed to make it down in the side tunnel, although how he managed it I can't tell. He yanks slightly at the rope and that small movement is enough to bring it down into the shaft leaving me wondering how it could support his weight. I shake my head, deciding not to dwell on it, and follow him as he proceeds down the stone ledge parallel to the river of oil. After about a hundred yards the path begins to narrow, and eventually begins to slope downward until it's even with the oil. The single slab of rock gradually transforms into a path made of pebbles.

We walk for hours, and eventually come across a doorway hewn in the side of the tunnel. We continue past it, then double back when the path abruptly comes to an end. A steep drop-off of smooth stone impossible to climb down ends the path and the oil river drops into a waterfall.

By the time we make it back to the doorway we've been walking for hours, and everyone's eyes are beginning to droop. Captain Brutus looks like he's weighing his options, then says, "Back up along that way a while. If we're caught we can escape through the other way."

We follow his lead and begin shifts. I take the first one, not wanting to be woken in the middle of the night. This time my shift passes without incident and I wake Johanna easily before laying down and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning when I wake up everyone is already moving around me. The few possessions we have laid out are packed up, and Johanna is leaning over me. "Wake up, already, God." She pushes herself up off the ground and walks over to where the rest of the group is already clustered. I hurry after her, quickly balling the scrap of fabric I had laid under my head and shoving it into my pocket.

We don't have to walk too far to make it to the stone doorway. Roughly hewn steps are cut into the stone, leading upward. We make our way up the steep staircase one by one, Johanna and I taking the few packs we have and Captain Brutus and Stuart carrying Finnick up. His head injury doesn't seem any better, but it certainly doesn't seem any worse and that's definitely something.

Immediately I am struck by how different this part of the tunnel is from the part we had just traveled through. The walls seem to have been formed out of light gray stone, in opposition to the black, coal colored rock. Light seems to be emanating from somewhere, but the source is invisible. The next thing I realize is a light stream running parallel to the opposite wall. The water appears clear, but the sound of trickling water isn't the only thing I hear. Voices. They seem to be coming from the right and even as we stand there they're getting closer and closer. We can't run- there's nowhere to go, and Finnick would be impossible to take anywhere fast enough anyway.

"Get back down," Captain Brutus hisses to us, and immediately Stuart yanks Finnick down back the stairs a little bit. Johanna rolls her eyes slightly, pulling out her gun.

"As if."

Not wanting to go back down and do nothing, I stay up there. Johanna glances at me and, noticing my lack of weapons, sighs. "Stuart, pass up a gun."

The voices are getting closer to the point where we can hear their footsteps now. The only thing protecting us from view right now is the large bend next to us. A second later Johanna hands me a shotgun- not as large as her's but bigger then any other gun I've practiced shooting. I take it anyway, holding it carefully and preparing for anyone who might come around the corner.

"...the curve seemed like a diversion and-" The group of people round the corner, and the first thing I notice is that they aren't wearing the customary white Peacekeeper uniforms. Instead they're wearing the green and brown garb of District Thirteen's military.

I see Johanna's hand tensing and then un-tensing on the trigger of the gun. Captain Brutus seems to be frozen, not moving at all. I don't recognize any of the members of the group but Captain Brutus seems to realize something we don't.

Suddenly the group of soldiers spots us. Immediately they pull their guns. Johanna and I aren't wearing the uniform, seeing as we we're even supposed to be out here in the first place. Captain Brutus' is smeared almost beyond recognition, layers of grime and dirt covering the telltale colors.

They move forward cautiously but quickly. One person moves forward ahead of the rest of them. "Wait- Captain Brutus?"

I see Captain Brutus nodding out of the corner of my eye, and the soldier abruptly drops his weapon. "It's fine," he tells the rest of his platoon.

"Are you sure?" someone else says, stepping forward. The voice sounds familiar.

"It's the Captain."

"Oh," the second soldier says, turning to look at us. "I- Catnip?"

It's the nickname that makes me recognize him. "Gale?" I ask.

I don't know what happens in the next three seconds but once they've passed I find myself in his arms.

"Gale," I mutter again.

"God, Catnip," he says, his voice so quiet I'm the only one who can hear it. He pulls back and his smile turns into a glare. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came after you," I told him. Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised by his reaction, but for some reason it bites at me.

"But how did you even get permission to come out here?" he asks, looking incredulous. Despite this his hands are still tight on my shoulders.

"I didn't. Johanna took me."

He notices her and seems to realize we're not the only ones there. Captain Brutus is talking to the rest of the platoon, but Johanna is just staring at us, smirking.

"How did you catch up to us?" he asks.

"We took an underground passage to get around the water wall. How did you get past that?" I shoot back.

"It shot up behind us. I guess it was to prevent being followed," Gale explains. "The tunnel was pretty out of the way after that. You must have taken a shortcut." His expression turns to one of concern. "How's your side? You know, you really shouldn't be running around on that thing." As he speaks his hand slides down to my injured side. His fingers ghost over it, but for the first time in days the touch isn't painful.

"I'm fine," I tell him. Seeing his expression, I sigh. It's obvious he doesn't believe me. "Come on," I say, grabbing his hand. "We should probably figure out what's going on."

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><p><strong>AN: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	15. Exit

**A/N: Hi! Enjoy!**

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><p>My side begins to hurt again after a little while, the dull, throbbing ache becoming a sharp pain. Every movement sends another stab through my body. I try not to let it on, but every step I take sends my hand to my side. Though no one else seems to notice, Gale is watching me with concern and every time I hurt he can tell. He grips my hand tightly, squeezing it a little more every time my side hurts. Eventually Johanna seems to notice my gritted teeth.<p>

"Need morphling?" she asks, holding out a liquor bottle. For a second I consider declining but then the pain rips through my side again and I take it from her, taking several large gulps. Gale is looking at me strangely, but my throat is buzzing and the pain in my side is already starting to ebb away.

Captain Brutus is talking to the only female in the group. I vaguely remember her name is Leona. She seems to be his second in command; she's speaking rapidly, gesturing with her hands as though to try to make her point. He's nodding, taking in everything she's saying and asking occasional questions. We all stand there awkwardly until Captain Brutus turns around and says, "We're staying here for the night. Set it up."

Immediately the two men in the group pull out supplies, the red haired man starting to set up the tent while the shorter one started getting out food. I expect Gale to go over to help them but instead he wraps her arm lightly around my waist, careful around my side, and leads me over to a quiet corner. I sit down next to him, leaning my head on his shoulder. Johanna glances at us, snorts, and turns away, moving to talk to the red haired man.

"Why did you come?" Gale asks after a moment of silence. I turn my head, looking at him with disbelief. Out of all the questions I expect, that isn't one of them.

"Are you honestly asking me that?"

"Yes," he says, turning to me with confusion on his face. "Why did you come?"

I snort. "You're telling me that if I had gone off with the army and left you in District Thirteen you wouldn't have gone after me?"

"That's different," he mumbles, looking away from me and instead at the two men who are still erecting the tents.

"Why?"

"You were hurt!" he burst out, turning to face me. "You're still hurt! You're chasing after me- into the Capitol!- with a hurt side and without permission from Coin!"

I scowl at him. "How do you know I don't have permission?"

He snorts. "Please. Like she would have let you go with that side."

"You don't know what she might be capable of," I point out but he just shrugs.

"Maybe. But considering you're the Mockingjay, I don't think she would just willy-nilly send you into combat. Your side just proves my theory."

I sigh, accepting that he won't ever agree with me, and ignore my side when it twinges with the movement. I take another deep breath and the pain seems to lessen slightly. Another. Another. With each breath I take my side seems to hurt less and less until each inhale brings nothing but a dull, empty ache.

Soon the tents are formed and although it can't be past noon I'm beginning to feel tired nod off every few minutes on Gale's shoulder only to jerk myself awake once I realize I'm falling asleep. Gale, seeing my predicament, smiles slightly and tugs on my arm. The movement pulls me into his lap, my head resting against his legs. I curl up and he runs his fingers through my hair. The movement is soothing and gives me the strangest sense of deja vu. Only once I am seconds from sleep, too far gone to wake up, do I realize that I'm thinking of Peeta.

As a result of my realization, I dream of him.

We're in the arena, huddled in the cave where we holed up when it was raining. The hole in the ceiling shows a gloomy, somber sky dotted with black clouds.

Peeta lays next to me, grinning and running his fingers through my hair the exact way Gale was. He's babbling in some language I cannot understand, making gestures with his hands when they're free of my hair. Suddenly the sky crackles and booms, and a bolt of lightening shoots down from the sky. It flies through the hole in the ceiling until it hits Peeta directly on the heart.

He screams but his voice doesn't sound like his own- it sounds like Prim's. Suddenly, his face morphs to hers and then to Gale's. The voice changes into Gale's as his face appears. The spot where the lightening hit his chest is bleeding profusely, the crimson liquid running down his chest to form a pool around where I am sitting. I am frozen, unable to move to help or save him. I watch helplessly as he bleeds to death in front of me.

I wake screaming. Gale, less then a foot away, wakes with a jolt at the sound and notices my panic attack. Seconds later his arms are around me, and he's making shushing noises.

"It's alright. You're going to be alright," he repeats, over and over again in a hushed whispered until I start to calm down. He kisses me on my forehead, my cheeks, my nose. He kisses my closed eyelashes, wiping the tears off my face with his mouth. I finally calm down enough to feel abashed.

"I'm sorry," I mutter, keeping my eyes downcast.

"Hey, don't apologize. What happened?"

"I- I was in the arena and Peeta was there and then he was Prim and then he was you." My breath is coming in short ragged gasps and the only thing keeping me from hyperventilating is Gale's hands on my neck and face.

"I'm so sorry," he murmurs in my ear.

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because you shouldn't- shouldn't be having nightmares about me."

"Gale... just, don't. Don't even go there, Gale."

He sighs, wrapping his arms tighter around me. "I love you, Catnip."

"I love you too."

I wake up early the next morning, no doubt from falling asleep hours before the others. Johanna sits, looking exhausted, on watch.

"Oh- hey," she says when she sees me, stifling a yawn. "I was just about to- to wake you for your turn."

"Here, go to sleep," I offer. "I got a lot more rest then you did."

She nods and yawns simultaneously, almost slumping out of the way- barely enough for me to squeeze into a position where I can see the curve of the tunnel. I wait, and after a few hours everyone, aside from Johanna, begins to wake up.

They pack up camp while I remain motionless, trapped by the arm Johanna has spread over me while she snores.

Leona, seeing my predicament, smirks and mutters something to Captain Brutus. He nods absentmindedly and Leona takes a step closer to me.

"You should wake her," she says and it takes me a second to realize she means Johanna. Blushing, I poke her.

"Johanna. Johanna. Johanna!"

She jolts up, her hands automatically reached out and forming fists as though to punch someone. I lean back, and she blinks several times, then lowers her fists.

"Katniss! Why the hell did you wake me up?" she asks angrily.

"We're leaving!"

She turns her head and notices the commotion around us. "Oh." She sniffs daintily, an action that is so strange for her it makes me want to laugh. "Well you should have told me that at the beginning, then."

I roll my eyes but don't say anything, heaving myself up off the ground and going over to find Gale.

Captain Brutus stops me before I can. "Everdeen! Come here."

Hesitantly I walk over to his side. "Yes, Captain?" Addressing him as such is a hard habit for me to get into, but I usually manage to remember to say it.

"Since you snuck away from the hospital in Thirteen, you have become a part of this platoon. You need to devote yourself completely to this group. Do you understand me, Soldier Everdeen?"

I nod quickly, my head bobbing up and down like a seal's. "I understand, sir." My voice comes out an octave higher then usual and I mentally berate myself but if he notices anything he doesn't mention it.

"Dismissed," he says in a bored tone, his gaze returning to the two men packing up the tents. Cane and an unnamed man I cannot identify. I hurry around behind him and towards the spot where Gale is cleaning up the remains of the food, then begin to help him with him.

We walk for what seems like hours, the tunnel stretching endlessly. The black walls are unbroken, no gaps or holes in them aside from the occasional hatch for the Avoxes. We continue walking for the entire day, then once again set up camp.

We continue in this fashion for several days, the hours blurring together as we follow the same routine over and over again. Walk, set up camp, sleep, pack up, repeat.

Finally we seem to reach an ending. The tunnel ceiling and walls begin to taper off, the large openings getting smaller and smaller until it is roughly the size of a person and we have to walk single file through the opening. The walls, once midnight black, are now a strange mixture of colors like emerald green and deep crimson that seem to collide together to form random swirling patterns.

Surprisingly, despite the lack of a scout team ahead of us, we don't run into any more traps or bombs. Suspicious, I check each area carefully but nothing seems hidden- no cameras or traps or guns.

The hallway lowers so we have to crouch, then crawl, and just as I'm beginning to think that we'll have to turn back around and scour the tunnel for additional entrances, it opens suddenly.

Instead of a cavern, as I expect, it seems to be a cluster of rocks- a valley lit by the sun. It takes me a second to realize this is nothing more then a small outcropping on the edge of a paved road.

Tollbooths are spaced evenly across the road, divided by yellow lines. I cringe back behind the rocks at the sight before Johanna, standing behind me, taps me on the shoulder.

"They're empty," she says.

I take a second look and realize she's right. In fact, the entire street is deserted. The only car on the road is left in the ditch, the doors open but no sign of people anywhere nearby. A torn shirt lies in the middle of the road, a small rock on it being the only thing keeping it from blowing away in the strong gusts of wind. A pool of red liquid is clustered around the shirt, staining parts of the blue fabric a strange purple color. It doesn't take me long to recognize the familiar liquid. Blood.

"What happened here?" I whisper, dumbfounded.

No one seems to have any answers.

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><p><strong>AN: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	16. Box

**A/N: Hi! That's for the kind comments! You guys are awesome. Anyway- enjoy!**

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><p>We slowly make our way along the edge of the asphalt, the only one among us not fazed being Captain Brutus. Doors on the tool-booths creak in the strong gusts of wind, making more noise then we do as we silently proceed along the edge of the road.<p>

Cane sticks out a foot towards the road but is abruptly stopped by Johanna's hand. She pulls him back, and when he tilts his head, looking confused, she mouths, 'It might be a trap.'

I consider pointing out that the grass might be a trap for all we know- this is the Capitol, after all, and when have they ever cared much about ruining nature?- but I keep silent, following Captain Brutus like a duckling following it's mother.

We pass the tollbooths without incident, a feat that surprises me despite the deceiving simplicity of the task. The road stretches before us, seemingly un-lined with trees, houses, or any kind of vegetation. Even the sparse grass we stand on now dwindles out, fading it a flat, orange sand that stretches for miles on either side of the road. We pause, and for a moment I think Captain Brutus is rethinking his options, considering going back into the tunnel and searching for an alternate exit, but it isn't so. We plow on after little more then a moment's hesitation.

After hiking barely a dozen yards, we hit a wall. The air in front of us ripples, like the disrupted surface of a still pond, then shimmers gold, before the sheen disappears completely, and once again we get a view of a flat landscape. Hesitantly, Leona steps forward, sticking first one hand through it, making it ripple again, then another, before going through completely.

Nothing. We cannot see her or hear her. Niles glances around then follows suit. He is accompanies by Cane, then Johanna, then Gale. Finally, only me and Captain Brutus remain. He gestures towards the void, leaving me no choice. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, reminding myself that however much this scares me Gale is through that, and dash through before I can change my mind.

It's like stepping through a stream of cool water. For a moment everything is a blinding, brilliant white, and wildly my thoughts fly to whirlpools and the time-holes told of in myths of the history of Panem. Then my vision clears, giving me a crystal-clear view of my surroundings. The rest of my group is clustered, talking quietly, while Gale watches the void. A smile spreads across his face when he sees me, and he holds out his hand for me to grab.

Captain Brutus appears seconds after me, looking like he had no qualms about going through in the first place. He sets off a brisk pace and we quickly fall into formation behind him, and I take a look around at my surroundings for the first time as we walk.

Tall metal buildings surround us, and although they are not as elaborate as the ones found in the heart of the Capital- the ones that surround the Training Center- they're much taller, and the windows are wider, as though they are designed to hold more apartments. Misshapen trees and plants grow from the edges of the asphalt, but their leaves are brown and shriveled, like they haven't gotten enough rain. The grass is dying, clumps of dirt poking up periodically from the few yellow patches of grass that remain. The entire street is completely devoid of human activity, as well as animal life.

I go to step on the paved road, but remember Johanna's warning and stop myself. To my surprise, Captain Brutus steps forward and takes to the road. We all follow, a strange combination of fear and bitterness taking over Johanna's face expression, and no bombs go off. No wall of disintegrating water appears; no blood rain falls from the azure, cloudless sky. Nothing.

It quickly becomes apparent we are closer to the town square then I originally thought, and after a few twisted back roads that are surprisingly absent of traps- a fact I find unnerving, but everyone else seems to think is completely normal-we are situated on the fringes of the main town area. Despite everything, the roads are still eerily empty of life, leaving me wondering not only where the Capitol citizens are but also where in all of Panem they could have hidden them that the rebels would not know, or would not stop them.

We come across pile of rubble; buildings completely demolished, shattered glass lying everywhere, and broken belongings strewn across the street. A car with it's roof pounded in, as though with a giant hammer, is flipped down, it's wheels still spinning.

I pay closer attention, and am surprised by the smaller details I notice. The stream of thick oil trickling from the wreckage is still running, and little puffs of dirty float to the ground as though only moments ago they were stirred up. I follow the rest of the group without a second thought as we split, diving undercover only seconds before the missile hits the spot we were standing.

Thick gray smoke issues from the crater in the asphalt, where the remains of a five foot long metal projectile is laying. It had broken on impact, leaving the now-fried machinery open to examination. In the center of the wreckage lies a small silver box incrusted with jewels that glimmer despite the soot covering it. Markings are scratched into the surface, though if they are supposed to be there or are simply a result of the explosion is impossible to tell.

The colors shining through the grime remind me of something, and automatically my mind turns to the diamond-covered key I discovered in the wreckage of my childhood home.

Delicately, I reach down and pluck the box from the crater before anyone has a chance to stop me. However, they're all searching around, both for signs of human life and supplies the Capitol citizens might have left behind, and no one notices me.

It's surprisingly heavy, and I bounce it slightly in one hand, trying to gauge it's weight. Brushing the dirt from the surface, I examine the stones carefully. However, not having the key to compare it to- I had left it in District Thirteen in my desperate rush to catch up to Gale- there's no way to tell whether or not the two are related. A large black keyhole is centered in the lid of the box. I slip it into my bag without another thought.

We don't dawdle at the crater long, and as soon as Niles and Cane declare the area void of life we move on, returning to the obscure back roads that are most likely to be empty of traps.

We stay the night in a deserted store. Although you can tell by the sign that it was a butcher shop, the shelves are bare and the only sign there was ever food are the crumbs littering the floor that scrawny mice scurry in to steal.

We set up a watch shift, and tonight I am left out of the rotation. Thankful, I sink into a deep sleep.

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><p>Frantic hands wake me from sleep. "Katniss! Katniss! Wake up!"<p>

Blearily, I open my eyes to find Johanna's face directly opposite mine. Although the shutters are open, no sunlight streams in through the windows. A dull thumping sound occurs every other second, and it takes me a second to realize the noise is the result of thick army boots stomping on concrete. I jolt up, abruptly wide awake, sliding my backpack on easily and cursing when I remember the box I put in there the day before.

I debate leaving it, but the sound draws closer and I realize I won't have time to sort through my things to get to it. As it is, Johanna and I are the only ones in the hut, and the back door is creaking as it swings shut. I race after her as we escape, barely hiding ourselves from view by the time the soldiers march past the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, I turn to look at our surroundings.

We're in a narrow, grimy alleyway that leads nowhere. Storefronts on either side of the butcher's shop lead out to the back as well, but they face nothing but a blank brick wall. A narrow hole in the brick wall, no doubt used for trash, is the only other exit; the grounds are plated with aluminum, making them impossible to dig through, and the flat walls stretch over twenty feet above us. The door has locked behind us, and both of the other doors are closed and locked as well.

I'm beginning to think there's no escape when Captain Brutus grabs Johanna's shoulder, pulling her forward roughly and stopping at the trash chute. "Crawl through it."

She raises her eyebrows. "What?"

"I said, crawl through it. You can get out and open one of those doors for us," he says, one index finger pointing to the back doors of the stores.

"How am I supposed to-" she begins, but he cuts her off, looking severely annoyed at having his authority questioned.

"You'll figure it out! Would you rather get caught by the Capitol and tortured? I didn't think so."

Grumbling, she pushes herself halfway into the pipe and, sparing one last glance around at all of us, slides down until she is in completely.

The next hour of waiting is torture. I am starting to think something went terribly wrong and she was caught by Peacekeepers when there's a creak and the door to the shop to the left of the butcher's pushes open.

"Hurry up!" she says, her tone so frantic I know she doesn't want us inside simply to get out of the open. "There's someone in here! He's alive!"

The store is almost identical to the one beside it, aside from the few jars of food on the shelves, but I don't have time to consider them. A magenta-skinned man is spread across the floor, his neon green hair fanned out above his tattooed face. He's either unconscious or sleeping- it's impossible to tell.

Kneeling, Cane slowly sticks out one hand, laying it lightly on the man's forehead. He wakes with a jolt, shockingly red eyes staring anxiously at us. He leaps to his feet, hands outstretched and a snarl on his face.

"Who are you? What do you want? I already told you I know nothing about District Thirteen!"

"We're from there," Niles says, and the man relaxes slightly, but not completely, and the accusatory glare doesn't face from his face.

"What do you want, then? And why does one of you have a Solumun?"

"What's a Solumun?" I ask, but no one else seems to have the same question. They're staring at the man, wide-eyed.

"Who has a Solumun?" the Captain asks.

The man hesitates then, seeing he has no choice but to answer, jerks his chin towards me. "She does. Reckon she's had it for about a year."

"What-" I begin, but Johanna cuts me off.

"It's a medicine. It makes you hallucinate. They must have given it to you in the Capitol after your Games. Have you hallucinated at all?"

I nod quickly, my mind filled with ghostly apparitions of Peeta. "A lot."

"No wonder," she sighs. "It's designed to make you relieve that which you're most guilty about. It makes you feel terrible about yourself; it's designed to break your morale." She sighs again. "We can get it removed in Thirteen once this is over."

A weight feels like it's been lifted from my shoulders. Those ghosts- they weren't Peeta. I wasn't keeping him from death. That was just a medicine. It was just the Capitol.

At the same time, however, it infuriates me that they think they can meddle with such a personal part of me as my thoughts and memories. However, there isn't much I can do now, especially not in front of a man who might be our enemy. I resign myself to making them pay later as I turn my attention back to the man standing before us.

"Who are you?" Johanna asks before I have a chance.

He fidgets, but under her glare says, "Eliza Coin."

Johanna gapes, as do the rest of the group, but I don't get the significance of the name. She explains without me needing to ask. "President Coin's brother?"

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><p><strong>AN: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	17. Nuclear

**A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated- right now I'm living on three hours of sleep each night, and I'm just so exhausted I've been worried I'd mess it up. But, anyway, here this is! Enjoy!**

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><p>"Coin has a brother?" I ask, breaking the silence. The man nods. "But... was she from the Capitol? Or are you from Thirteen?"<p>

Captain Brutus answers for the man, who looks surprisingly irritated as he listens to someone else tell his backstory. "President Coin's parents were from here. The Capitol. This-" he hesitates, then says, "it really isn't my story to tell you. I'll just say that she left, and that her brother stayed."

"So, basically, Coin has had connections with people in the Capitol this entire time?" I ask, flabbergasted. He nods. "And she's not even thinking about how her bombs and attacks could hurt them?"

Eliza Coin answers this time. "My sister doesn't have an ounce of compassion in her body. She knows her reasons for leaving might have extended to me, but she left me anyway. What makes you think she gives a damn about my welfare?"

Everyone is quiet. The only sound is the steady thumping of military boots outside, continuous and droning, and the occasional boom of an explosion.

"We have to leave soon," Johanna says, pointing a finger out of the window, which is cracked open, and drawing our attention to the waning light. "Peacekeepers might find us if we stay in any one place for too long."

Captain Brutus grunts his agreement. "Once it gets completely dark we can go back onto the streets. Before then there still may be Peacekeepers out on the road."

We don't have to wait more then another half hour before the sun is completely set, the only source of light on the streets coming from the pale yellow light of the high end streetlights dangling from each storefront. It goes without saying that Eliza Coin follows us. The streets are mostly bare, and although occasionally trinkets or belongings of the Peacekeepers they had left behind pop up, scattered across the street, nothing else seems to have changed since we took refuge half a day before.

Almost delicately, we pick our way along the road, worming our way through the scattered pieces of wreckage that appear more and more frequently as we proceed.

The back roads grow larger the closer to the city center we get, eventually morphing into full-sized highways that can hold up to eight cars driving parallel to each other at once. Though the buildings on the sides of the road aren't in any better condition then ones we have previously passed, the road lacks the huge pits and rubble caused by bombs. We tread carefully, hesitantly. We don't come across any Peacekeepers, but far from calming me it's unsettling. The lack of an obvious defense immediately makes me think of the cunning traps surely to come.

We travel quickly, and by noon are only a few streets from the heart of the city center. Despite this, we still have yet to catch even the slightest glimpse of a single Peacekeeper, and a nervous feeling fills my stomach as we proceed to the final road.

And, once more, we abruptly hit a wall. However, this is not formed out of an invisible barrier, nor of disintegrating water. Pale, bloody bodies are stacked twenty feet high- or more- on the concrete, their faces twisted in grotesque expression of terror. Their stiff limbs are frozen in strange positions, hands half raised to their faces in an attempt at shielding themselves, arms and legs bent awkwardly at the joints.

The most stunning thing, however, isn't the wounds they've sustained nor the positions they were stuck in when they died. It's their skin color, the tattoos adorning their skin, the gems implanted in their arms and the bizarre shade of their hair. They're not rebels from Thirteen, or Twelve, or Nine, or Four, or any other district. They're the Capitol citizens.

Their bodies create a knotted rainbow of flesh that blocks the entire eight-lane highway all the way to the rubble lining either side of the road. That, combined with the height of the pile, makes me wonder how many people had to be brutally slaughtered to create such a roadblock.

After a moment's hesitation, Captain Brutus proceeds forward, Niles on his heels. "Climb that," he instructs the soldier, ignoring his incredulous expression. "Go on." Reluctantly, Niles takes a delicate hold on one of the frozen hands, finding footholds, and starts to climb the barricade of human bodies. He almost slips several times when he missteps or when he comes across a particularly slick pool of blood. We wait with bated breath as he arrives at the top of the tower of flesh, and glances around. When he is not immediately struck down by either Peacekeepers or archers, Captain Brutus gestures Cane over, who then proceeds to follow in Niles footsteps most literally.

They sit, crouched on the top of the pile, and wait for us all to follow. Johanna goes next, then me, then Gale, then Leona, and finally Captain Brutus. The view from the top of the mound is despairing. Bodies litter the streets as if they are no more valuable then common garbage. Buildings and vegetation lie decimated on the side of the road, but despite everything- despite the elaborate roadblock that cost people lives- there aren't any Peacekeepers lying in wait, no snake hiding in it's den as it prepares to pounce on a mouse.

As soon as we have converged on the wall we spilt into two groups, one containing me, Johanna, Niles, and Captain Brutus and the other formed out of Leona, Gale, and Cane. Sliding down two different paths in the wall of flesh, we worm our way through the bloodied bodies of innocent- well, as innocent as a Capitol citizen can be- people. The cause of their deaths vary from a slit throat to a bashed in skull to a broken spine. Sticking close to the walls of rubble surrounding the heart of the city center, we creep through the narrow shadows, hoping to avoid detection of any Peacekeepers who may be watching.

A huge crystal fountain, larger then my childhood home in Twelve, is situated in the direct center of the square. Ringed by tracks usually used in the chariot rides for the Games, it's full of a thick, crimson liquid; blood. Little white slivers of bone float in the putrid mixture, and I'm sure if I mixed up the liquid even slightly chunks of flesh would rise to the surface.

It's silent. Eerily silent. There's no more thumping of military boots, or booms of distant explosions. Even the rustling wind has fallen silent. Somehow I know what's happening a moment before it does. Grabbing Gale's arm, I crouch low behind the fountain, pulling him with me. Johanna does the same, at the exact same moment I do.

Bullets tear through the silence, and there's a sickening splatter and a groan as Niles falls. Cane, looking frantic, turns to run, forgetting his courage, but he's shot in the back before he can take more then a single step. Eliza Coin is sprawled on the ground in a similar position, a bloody hole shot straight through his forehead. Leona makes it down in time, and she crawls over to us.

The bullets are precise and shot directly towards lethal areas on a human body; these aren't machine guns- they're snipers.

"What should we do?" I whisper.

"I think we should ask Captain Brutus," Leona murmurs, turning to ask his opinion.

Instead of finding him crouched next to us, he's lying on the pavement several feet away, a pool of scarlet blood forming around him. The light has already left his eyes.

Leona swears. Loudly. "How could- no, it doesn't matter. You report to me now," she says, adopting a sort of half-authority. I'm so accustomed to seeing it on Captain Brutus that it seems strange on her.

We stay hidden for several moments before the silent vigil of the waiting snipers is broke by the steady thumping of thick soles of leather on asphalt. The last bit of hope in my heart sinks, and I squeeze Gale's hand tightly, drinking in what I think will be my last images of him as the footsteps draw closer.

Screaming. It's the first sound I comprehend. A second later I realize the soldiers approaching were not coming from the front to attack us; instead, they were coming from behind- reinforcements. I turn my head, watching as the green-and-black clad soldiers run forward, guns at the ready as they search for the snipers.

They're getting shot down, and quickly. Men fall, seeming randomly, blood blooming from their chests. Although they're only shot down one or two at a time, making me think there aren't that many snipers, without any defense they'll all die eventually. Though it's clear where the shots are being fired from- two particularly tall piles of rubble opposite each other- any time a soldier gets within ten yards they're shot down mercilessly, often by the other sniper. Soon the ground is slick with the liquid, making it hard to run without slipping, but still soldiers die.

The snipers are so distracted by the soldiers, I doubt they're paying any attention to us, and suddenly a plan forms in my head. I run it all through, and although there are several flaws and the inevitable risk, it seems like the only option. Almost a quarter of the soldiers are already gone, and the Capitol doesn't seem pressed to send out reinforcements; they must know we don't have any snipers of our own.

I whisper my plan in Johanna's ear, and she nods, spreading it to Leona as I tell Gale.

Glancing around, I nod to Johanna. She gets into a low crouch, taking off right behind the lines of marching soldiers.

If they snipers see her they don't aim for her. Her hood is up, and they must assume she's nothing more then a cowardly rebel running from the fight. A second later, Gale takes one more look at me, then takes off in the opposite direction. A second later Leona follows him, and then, taking up the rear, I go in the same direction as Johanna.

Though the plan is relatively simple, the fact remains that the snipers may have guards stationed around them, a safeguard to protect them from situations such as these. Curving around a pile of smashed concrete shards, we slink along the edge of a long metal beam extending all the way to the sniper's hideout. I can just barely see the tip of Leona's head across the street; they're in a similar position to us.

The tower the sniper is hidden in is made of broken stones and glass, making it hard to climb without cutting yourself. No soldiers, other then the rebels, are within sight as we sneak up the back of the mound. Gunshots continue to fire at a steady pace, and the noise directs us to it's source.

A hollow is formed in the rubble, leaving just enough space for a single man, as well as his huge gun, to set up. Sheets of bent metal cover the empty space in front of him, though the area above his head is unprotected, and a single hole cut through it leaves him a space through which he shoots his gun.

Killing him is easy. Too easy. All I have to do is take my knife and shove it through his skull. I take the dagger in my hands, but my fingers shake, making it impossible to aim properly. Every moment spent on top of this is another moment out in the open, without protection.

Scowling, Johanna snatches the knife from my grip and, thrusting downward, kills the man easily. As if it didn't require any effort on her part at all. As if it didn't matter.

I glance across the road to distract myself, and find Gale and Leona already climbing down the rubble, the large sniper gun held tightly in their grip.

The gunshots have ceased completely, and a brief cheer goes through the soldiers that fades quickly as the squad leaders shush their soldiers. Roughly one-third of the soldiers are dead, and the other two-thirds look frightened, as though they thought that if they proceeded they would end up in a similar state. Captains hurry to organize their squads, and only minutes after the snipers go down they are on the move again, marching firmly past the fountain and towards the mansion that serves as the president's home and office.

Gale and Leona rush forward towards us, and only then do I realize we have been standing still. Gale squeezes my hand and I smile at him, but judging by his worried expression it doesn't fully reach my eyes.

The box is weighing down heavily in my pack, and as my mind goes once more to the diamond key I can't force myself to stay quiet anymore.

"I have something to show you," I blurt. A look of undisguised interest appears on Leona's face.

"What? Where?"

Though the soldier's are clearly occupied with storming the President's mansion, reinforcements- reinforcements I had no idea Coin was sending- are still pouring in, and might hear our discussion, or at least the one that will surely follow my announcement. I hurry out of the way, sinking into the shadows, and they follow suit.

Shrugging off my pack, I dig through it for only a moment before I find the box. I pull it out, and to my surprise a look of realization dawns on Johanna's face, even while Leona and Gale remain puzzled. She unzips her pack, rummaging for something, then pulls out a rough wooden box. Snapping back the lid, an expectant expression comes across her face.

The diamond key lies nestled in the box. I have no idea how she got it- it was in my pod the entire time- but I don't have time to ponder it.

"Look's like a match to me," Leona says, and Gale makes a general noise of agreement.

Delicately, I lift the key from the box, forgetting for a moment it's indestructibility, and gingerly stick it into the black hole in the box.

It's a perfect fit. I nudge it gently, and it turns quickly, the lid popping backward and revealing the contents inside.

For a moment I have no idea what it is. Silverly metal contrasts sharply with the black fabric it's covered in, and Johanna sticks out one hand to brush it back.

It takes only seconds for me to understand.

"A- a bomb?" I ask hesitantly.

Leona's expression is dark. "That's not just a bomb, Katniss. That's a nuclear bomb."

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	18. Candy

**A/N: My life is completely crazy right now, so I am so so sorry I haven't updated. Forgive me? I'll try to get this done within the week- there's only a few more chapters left! Again, I'm so sorry! Enjoy!**

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><p>"Wait a second," I say. "Nuclear? As in the bombs District Thirteen used to produce for the Capitol?"<p>

Leona doesn't even deny it, despite the fact their old industry is supposed to be a secret. "We supplied the Capitol with the bombs; we didn't have any other choice. Although Coin had assumed they were all deactivated by rebels in the first war, it doesn't really surprise me they kept a select few in reserve." Turning to Johanna, she says, "Where did you get the key?"

She shrugs. "Katniss' pod."

"I found it in the wreckage of Twelve," I say, leaving out the part where it was my house I found it in. "And I found the box in the remains of another, less dangerous bomb."

She nods, but still looks troubled, then says, "They must have intended to explode both at the same time, but I still don't understand why..." she trails off, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that this thing could go off at any moment, and the fact is we have no way of knowing how to stop it."

Johanna moves forward. "Well," she says, "I might have an idea."

Two hours later we find ourselves in the basement of a deserted candy shop two streets over. The sounds of the battle between the Peacekeepers and the rebels continue, but they're muffled by the thick layer of cement and the quarter-mile between us. The bomb is in the direct center of the room, and Johanna is next to it, poking and prodding it as though it will make some sort of difference. Leona is murmuring quietly to Gale, and I'm twirling the key between my fingers absentmindedly as I think about the Solumun that the Capitol put on me. When did it happen? Was it after the arena, during the full-body polish? Or did they slip it into my food, into my drinks? The thought makes me sick.

"Katniss! Katniss!"

I come to my senses suddenly, and everyone is staring at me. Leona is looking at me expectantly, as though waiting for me to say something, and I blush.

"Sorry," I say. "What was that?"

Johanna rolls her eyes, but aside from her, no one comments. "I wanted to know whether you thought it would be safe to leave the bomb here."

My eyes bug out as I stare at her. "Leave it here?" I ask, gesturing to the damp basement we're sitting in. "Have you lost your mind?"

Leona sighs. "We just discussed this. Even if they do detonate it, this way we'll be a little bit farther away from the blast, though I doubt that will help much. But the real pro is the fact no one will look for it here. Who would search for a immensely dangerous weapon- one that could possibly turn the tables in the war- in an abandoned candy shop?"

Despite her logic, I still feel uneasy. "But what if someone happens upon it by chance? Any amount of soldiers would choose to take cover in this vicinity, and it could be anyone. It might fall into the hands of a unexperienced novice of a rebel, or the captain of one of the segments of Peacekeepers might find it."

Leona nods. "Yes, I agree, but in keeping it with us we're giving the Capitol a much higher chance of finding it. If we get captured, and there is a good chance we might, they'll get a hold of it immediately, whereas if we leave it here, at the very least it'll take more time to reach the president's mansion. We don't need to hand it to Snow."

I sigh. "Fine," I relent. "But we have to hide it well. We can't just leave it out in the open." She nods.

Twenty minutes later, we've shouldered our packs and are standing in front of the staircase, preparing to step out into what will surely be a bloodbath.

"Remember," Leona says. "Try to stick in groups of at least three if we get separated. And make your way to the mansion. We should meet with backup there, and then the plan is simple. All we have to do is go in, kill Snow, and get out."

I notice the way she no longer says capture; everyone knows that the original intent of this mission was to murder the president. The only difference now is that Coin is willing to admit it. Or, at least, Leona is.

Gale, as the only man left and therefore the strongest member of our group, grits his teeth, flexing his muscles, and shoves the door open.

Silence. The streets around us are completely empty- even the rubble has gone missing. The buildings I am sure lined the road on either side of the candy shop are also gone. I step out, staring around in wonderment. The yellow sun beats down from the sky, and without anything to block it- even clouds- it's beams fall evenly across the ground. There's a faint bird chirp, which is followed by another, and another. Soon it drowns out my hearing.

"Where are we?" Johanna asks, and I turn to see her step out of the candy shop, directly behind Leona. The second her foot leaves the threshold, the door swinging shut behind her, the store disappears. My brow furrows as I look around it confusion. It was just there. Wasn't it? What the hell is going on?

Suddenly there's a flicker. A slight trick of the light, directly in front of me. A gap appears in a yellow sunbeam, and for a second I can see the bodies of Peacekeepers and rebels, piled on the ground, and can hear people yelling. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it disappears, but I already know what's going on.

"It's an illusion," I murmur, then say it again, only louder this time. "It's an illusion!"

"What do you mean, an illusion?" Johanna asks.

"We're still in the Capitol! We're still here, and we're still on a street filled with soldiers who are trying to kill us! The difference is, they changed us somehow- we all think we're in a different place, but we're not! They can see us, but we can't see them!"

Stunned looks come upon all of my companions faces, and Leona opens her mouth to say something but before she has a chance there's a slight whizzing noise and from same gap I noticed only seconds before, a bullet flies, embedding itself in her chest. She gasps, her mouth forming a round 'O', and then she falls.

"We have to-" Seemingly in slow motion, the tear in front of me opens, and a silver bullet flies through. Before it has a chance to hit it's intended target, I leap forward, throwing myself between the bullet and Gale.

It hits me in the side, in the exact same place Carl stabbed me. The half-healed wound is abruptly ripped open to a degree far worse then before. Stars twinkle in front of my eyes as I fall to the ground, vaguely noticing that the illusion seems to have faded, at least for me. I can once again see all the rebels and Peacekeepers, as well as the blood slick on the ground, the climbing buildings lining the roads, and the rubble piled everywhere.

"Katniss! Katniss! Katniss!" Gale repeats my name over and over, as though it will heal my side. Tears glimmer in his eyes. "Katniss, don't go."

"I- I love you," I whisper, my voice hoarse. I can feel the blood pulsing from the wound in my side, can feel it pooling around me, can feel my life source ebbing away.

"Katniss," he whispers again. "I love you too."

I try a smile, but the movement seems to take the last of my energy, and I slip into darkness.

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><p><strong>AN: Review or PM me with comments :)**


	19. Snow

**A/N: Double update! Enjoy!**

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><p>Spinning. Whirling lights. Surrounding me. Engulfing me.<p>

Nothingness.

Red, green, yellow spots. Dancing in front of my eyes. Merging together. A single back backdrop.

Nothingness.

Silver and gold lines. Webbing through my consciousness. Cracking the blackness. But only for a second. Then it's back.

And with it, the nothingness.

White lights. Crackling across the black surface. Puncturing it. Bright, lights.

Something.

I'm standing in a bare white hallway, empty aside from the flickering neon lights in the ceiling. I take a single step forward, and, looking down, realize I'm wearing nothing. Immediately, my mind screams at me to stop, but like a nightmare, I keep moving.

A step forward. Another. Another. The tiles are cold and hard under my bare feet. Everything around me is unchanging.

And then it's not.

Suddenly, the ceiling is stained a deep, blood-red. A slight drip-drip-dripping reverberates through the chamber as a puddle of the red liquid appears on the floor in front of me, falling from the ceiling. I step through it, ignoring the way it stains my feet a guilty crimson, and move on.

The walls are soon covered with the red liquid. Then the floor is too. It starts to rise up, filling the room, until I'm swimming in it.

Swimming in a sea of blood.

And then it's gone.

I'm standing in a steel room, and sitting directly in front of me is him.

His bone-white hair contrasts sharply to his sagging ashen skin. His lips are blown up, surgically enlarged no doubt, and are covered with what appears to be cherry juice.

He grins at me, spreading his mouth until he looks like scarecrow.

"Now, Katniss," he says, voice high and lilting and the exact opposite of what I expect it to be, "are you going to kill me, or not?"

He disappears, and I think I do too, because when I once again get my bearings he's standing directly in front of me, and a dagger is clenched tightly in my fist. We're not in the steel room anymore, either; we're in a rose garden. I can see the film of juice on his lips, dripping down the corners of his mouth and streaming down his neck.

Only it's not juice. It's blood.

He's smirking at me, like he thinks I don't have the guts to kill him.

Without hesitation, I reach forward and plunge the knife into his heart.

He gasps, rasping, and his mouth moves as though he means to speak but can't find the words. A sense of sick satisfaction floods through me as I watch him fall to the ground.

"Mockingjay," he murmurs, so quietly I can barely hear, and then all is still.

Finally.

And then suddenly it's not. The world around me spins, sending me tumbling to the floor. The smell of roses, sickly sweet and obviously manufactured, fills my nose, and I gag.

The colored lights reappear and I once again fall into blackness.

And then the cycle repeats itself.

Black. Stunning pink. Vibrant orange. Rosy red.

It stays on the last color.

I can feel breath ghosting across my face, as I can almost feel the lips an inch from my cheek. Instead of stinking of perfumed roses and blood, the breath is sweet. Hazelnut. Wild herbs.

I blink open my eyes and am assaulted by a shining white light, brighter then anything I have ever seen before. I squeeze my yes shut immediately, welcoming the red and wondering why my eyelids don't stop the light completely.

Hesitantly, I crack them open once more. After a few moments, the light fades. Several minutes later, once my eyes are fully adjusted, I realize that the room is only lit by a single neon emergency light.

Oh.

I shift, and the movement jostles the stark white sheets. There's a jolt next to me, and I turn my head to see Gale, bleary eyed and clearly just woken, siting up from where his upper body was sprawled on the cheap hospital mattress.

"Katniss!" he says, the second he sees I'm awake. He grabs my hand, but I don't feel it. My body feels strange. I'm half-numb; I can feel the texture of the sheets around me, can feel the warmth of his hand, and yet I can't feel the pressure of him squeezing it. For a terrible moment I think that the bullet has done something, before I realize that, since it hit me in the side, that's extremely unlikely.

"Gale," I say, my voice raspy, and for a second I am reminded of the rough voice of President Snow in my nightmares. Or was it a nightmare? Did it actually happen?

"Oh, thank God you're alright." He studies me carefully for a moment before saying, "Do you remember anything?"

I shrug. "Vague bits and pieces. I remember the tear in the illusion, and me jumping in front of a bullet. It hit my side and-" I shrug again. The movement is strange- I can't feel anything but the texture of the pillowcase. "-here I am."

Gale's brow furrows. "Katniss," he says slowly, deliberately, as though speaking to a small, recalcitrant child, "that was over a month ago."

My mind whirls. "A- a month? How is that- how is that even possible? I just- I just got knocked out, and then I dreamed about going through a hallway and into a rose garden and killing Snow, and then I woke up."

"Wait," Gale stops me. "You dreamed about killing Snow?"

"Well, more like a nightmare then a dream."

"Katniss, that wasn't a nightmare."

Now it's my turn to look confused. "What do you mean? Was it an illusion or something?"

"Catnip, that actually happened."

The world seems to spin before me, and yet everything remains stationary. "I- I killed Snow," I manage. Gale nods. "I went into his mansion, I found him in a rose garden, and I killed him with a dagger." Gale nods once more. "Then what happened?"

"I heard you screaming, and when I came in you were on the floor next to him. I took you out and- here we are."

"Where is here?"

"A hospital in Thirteen."

I stare at him, uncomprehendingly. "You're saying the war is over. You're saying I killed him, and ended the war, without knowing I was doing it?"

He nods after a millisecond's hesitation. "You're a hero, Katniss."

I ponder this for a moment, then realize something. "Wait. How could I do that if I was shot in the side?"

He hesitates, and I say, "Tell me the truth, Gale. Don't lie. We never lie to each other."

He sighs heavily, then says, "Katniss, I know this might confuse you, but that wasn't a bullet that hit you. Well, it was, but..." he sighs again. "We all thought it had just missed you or something when you woke up the next day, seemingly fine. We were all confused, but we were on a time-pressed mission, and Coin was shoving us towards the mansion, trying to get us to lure Snow out so you could kill him in public. Break the Peacekeepers'- and the Capitol citizens'- morale.

"I should have known you weren't yourself. You were quiet most of the time, and you rarely spoke to me, sticking to Johanna more. I assumed you were mad at me- for not moving out of the way of the bullet- so I tried to please you, but your reactions to me didn't change.

"We made it to the mansion, and we got into the third level when we reached a trap that only a single person could go through within the span of an hour. Obviously, this was the doorway to the hallway leading to the rose garden you killed Snow in. We sent you in, with the promise I would follow an hour later, and if anything went wrong you would come out immediately.

"After that, it's a bit vague for me, but I think that you went in there, and something happened, and then you were screaming. It took me a few more minutes to get in there- it had only been fifty-four minutes- and by the time I did you were out cold. And- and this was on your hand."

Gently, he lifts my left palm from where it lies beside me and shows it to me. A silvery symbol is embossed there, almost like one of the Capitol's tattoos.

"It's the symbol that shows up on your skin when you get your Solumun removed. Whatever happened, they must have controlled you for a period of time, and put your consciousness through a series of hallucinations, and then once you fell asleep, they must have been driven out. At the same time, the actions must have destroyed the Solumun."

"But- but what happened to everyone?" I ask.

"Most everyone is fine, but... District Seven was bombed. Not nuclear or anything, but a good portion of the houses and land was destroyed, including Johanna's childhood home. She's there now. The nuclear bomb is under strict supervision by Haymitch. Coin's hovercraft was destroyed- she's dead. But Prim and your mother are fine."

It's too much. Too much information at once, too much going on for me to handle. So I ask the first thing that comes to mind. "What about Carl?"

"He- I-" He sighed. "He had a Solumun. The Capitol was just using him to get to you, because they knew he'd get in. He's- he's dead, Katniss. Coin killed him."

I don't have the energy to talk about that now, don't have the energy to fake caring because, frankly, I don't. "So- so the war is over. But what's going to happen now?"

"Well, Windsor, the rebel leader from Four, has been chosen as our new President. He's an old friend of Finnick's, so he'll make sure Windsor doesn't do anything wrong. Your mother wants to move to Four, and Prim wants to go with her." Gale takes a deep breath. "I want to go too, but if you don't want to we don't have to."

It takes me another moment to process what he's saying, but for completely different reasons then before. We. He named us like we were a unit- as though, wherever I go, he'll follow.

"I- I think that's a good idea." I manage.

"Yeah?"

I laugh. "Yeah."

He grins tentatively and I return the smile wholeheartedly.

District Four it is.

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	20. Epilogue

**A/N: This is it! The Epilogue! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of you who have read this and especially to those who have favorited/alerted/reviewed! THANK YOU! Anyway, please enjoy!**

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><p>I never thought I'd have children.<p>

I always imagined myself alone as an adult, with only the animals in the woods for company. Occasionally I pictured my mother or Prim in my fantasies and, as our relationship progressed, Gale as well. But never them.

Never the gray eyed, black haired little boy, or the girl who, by some miracle, inherited blue eyes.

I lean against the doorframe, watching the two of them playing in the sand. Their two black heads contrast sharply against the beige sand, and musical laughter bubbles up.

It's hard to tell which is older, although Cinna always insists he'll grow soon, and then they'll be able to tell who's two years older. I always nod and agree, and share a grin with Gale.

A pair of strong arms wrap around my waist, and I sink into them automatically, proof above all else that I've changed since the Games.

No, I remind myself. Don't think of them. They'll only give you nightmares.

Instead, I run through all the good things in my life. My name is Katniss Hawthorne, I'm married to Gale Hawthorne, and I have a six year old son named Cinna and a four year old daughter named Rue. I live in District Four, next to Annie, Finnick, and their kids, Haymitch and Effie, and my mother. My sister Prim lives in District Five, and is married to a man named Roland. I am happy. I am happy.

"I'm happy," I whisper, just loud enough for Gale to hear. He tightens his hold on me.

"I know," he whispers back, both our eyes glued on our children at the beach. "I am too."

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><p><strong>AN: Review or PM me with comments :) Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who read this. Thank you. You mean the world to me.**


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